Switched: Chance or Destiny
by ttchaku
Summary: Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, ten years later at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.
1. Switched

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone, guess what I've learned, I can't stop myself from starting another story, even though I haven't finished even one of the ones I already have. _Sighs. _I couldn't help it, this idea just came to me, and I don't think I've ever even read a variation of this. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

**A** lusty cry woke her as the car screeched to a halt. Looking benignly at her husband sitting in the driver's seat, she roughly jostled the small sobbing boy in her unloving arms, until he quieted out of fear. Moving sluggishly, Petunia yawned, covering her mouth delicately and shifted Harry to a more comfortable position.

Unhooking her seat belt, she unceremoniously placed Harry in her husband's arms and stretched, stretching her horrible pink dress shirt uncomfortably. She smoothed her hair, patting it back down into tidy waves. Then, after quickly checking her makeup in the mirror, she turned to look behind her, smoothing Dudley's tuft of blond hair happily.

Cooing at the sniveling boy, she said, "Now, dearest, Mummy will be gone for a little bit; you be good for Daddy, alright?"

Vernon Dursley snorted and dropped Harry into her lap, ruffling her pants. "Don't take too long in there. The longer we have him, the more likely, he'll rub off on Dudley."

Petunia shuddered. "Don't even think that."

Vernon kissed her clumsily on the cheek and unlocked the doors. Petunia opened the car door, letting it swing shut behind her and nestled Harry more firmly in her arms. She didn't want the brat to get another scar that could identify him. Daintily, she walked towards the huge building, wrinkling her nose with disgust as she entered and the wails of crying babies and unchanged diapers filled her senses.

The orphanage must be an awful place for a child to grow up. Thank god, she was taking one of them out of here.

Smiling at the receptionist, she purposely walked towards where the mayhem seemed to be coming from. Entering the hall, she stopped for a moment in shock. It was dirty and smelly and…well what had she expected? The children weren't going to be dressed in their Sunday best, lined up for her to pick one out. No, instead, cots lined the hall, filled with children, from newborns whining for their never-to-come mothers to moody teenagers steadfastly ignoring the world around them.

Petunia's mouth scrunched in disgust; children, in general, were horrible disgusting creatures, with the exception, of course, of her own Dudley. There was a chance that this unknown child she was trying to find was just like the rest, but as Petunia looked at the bundle in her arms, she knew she'd rather deal with whatever diseases and mood swings he brought along, than the…the thing in her arms.

Petunia strode down the cots of the orphanage with an air of briskness. She held the bundle in her hands with something resembling disgust, but smiled and hugged the sleeping green-eyed boy closer when a care-worker glanced over. Nodding at the overly inquisitive woman (at least in Petunia's opinion), Petunia turned her attention back towards the children in the cots.

He had to be the right age; he had to be brown-haired and green eyed. The eye color was a must, if worst came to worst, she could always dye the hair. Oh yes, and most importantly, he had to be normal. No floating teacups or changing skirts into squirrels; she would have none of that. If he was only normal, she could like him; maybe, dare she say it, love him.

Petunia glared down at the innocent babe cradled in her arms, swathed in cloths. "You just had to be one of them," she whispered distraughtly, "You just had to be hers."

Suddenly, Petunia stopped and reached out to smooth a young boy's messy brown hair away from his face. He woke plaintively, and wrinkling his nose, he stared disinterestedly at Petunia and Harry.

Brown.

Disgustedly, Petunia pushed the sleepy child away and continued down the aisle, listening to the soft cries of distress that followed her. "This isn't my fault." She whispered into the sleeping boy's hair, "It isn't. It's yours and hers and his. You're so ungrateful that you can't even realize how good we're being to you. You blame me; you've always blamed me; how dare you do that"-Petunia shook the baby, making him shift restlessly-"Don't you do that! It's not my fault; it never was; it never will be. The blame is solely yours. It's your fault all this happened. It's your fault they're dead and we were dumped with you. This…this is just proper redemption."

Whether not Petunia realized the idiocy of placing the blame of his two parents on baby Harry's innocent shoulders, one will never know, because at that moment, Petunia found exactly what she was looking for.

"Oh, he's perfect!" Petunia gasped.

Lying on the cot was a little boy. He was struggling to sit up to peer curiously at the small world he had suddenly been confined to. Petunia stared at him.

Brown hair.

Green eyes.

Perfect…normal.

Looking quickly from side to side, Petunia knelt next tot the one-year-old, reading the place card, "Lann."

At his name, Lann gurgled happily. "Gah!"

Quickly, Petunia lay Harry down next to Lann on the bed, removing the blankets. Lann, sensing a foreign presence of his bed, turned over to examine Harry's peaceful form with childlike interest. He reached out a hand…

-Would this create a lasting connection that would finally unite them when they would meet again, years in the future?-

…And pulled a strand of Harry's dark hair, giggling to himself…

-Perhaps not-

…Harry woke quickly, bursting into sobs, tears rolling down his face. Petunia looked up from digging through her purse to try to soothe the disrupted baby, but to no avail. Harry continued crying, probably in defiance of this new mean-spirited woman in his life, which not only looked nothing like his mother, but also kept dragging him all over the place, interrupting his sleep.

Petunia continued vainly trying to quiet him, but it was Lann who finally did the job. Fed up of having his quiet space disturbed by a creature even smaller than him, he rolled over and fell straight on top of Harry, muting his cries. Harry kicked against him, but Lann, a happy child, giggled in fun and kicked back, lean legs wiggling.

Petunia sighed in relief, and paying no attention to the fact that Harry was about to be smothered to death, continued searching through her purse. Finally, she triumphantly pulled out a slightly moldy green blanket. Glancing suspiciously from side to side, she snatched Lann from the bed and quickly wrapped him in the blanket, muffling his cries of disappointment at being taken away from his new toy…er, friend.

Quickly, Petunia stood up, calling another care worker to her side. "I don't know what happened," she lied, inching away from the cot, "I was just leaning over him and he began crying. I'm- I'm so sorry, but I can't stop it."

"Well, I just don't know what happened." stated the care-worker curiously, scooping Harry up in her arms, "Lann's always been such a trooper."

Petunia shrugged helplessly as the cheerful care-worker soothed Harry or now Lann back to sleep. Petunia smiled unnoticeably and the second the care-worker's back was turned, she fairly flew out of the orphanage, never noticing a pair of eyes watching her moodily.

Quickly, Petunia sat in the car, nodding to her husband. He revved the engine and peeled out of the orphanage parking lot, Dudley squealing in delight at the sudden motion.

"His name is Lann." she said tenderly.

"No," Vernon shook his head viciously, "It's Harry Potter."

Petunia brushed the hair away from the scarless forehead once more to reassure herself and then hugged the small boy to her chest happily as he sleepily clung to her breast. Let the orphanage deal with Lily's mistake, she thought; this Harry Potter, her new Harry Potter, was going to be normal.

Back in the orphanage, a small black-haired child blinked opened his green eyes to unfamiliar surroundings and wailed, changing fate once and for all.

**T**o** B**e **C**ontinued…


	2. Mistaken

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**Mistaken**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone, guess what I've learned, I can't stop myself from starting another story, even though I haven't finished even one of the ones I already have. _Sighs. _I couldn't help it, this idea just came to me, and I don't think I've ever even read a variation of this. Anyway, I've been wondering if anyone noticed the significance of the names: Lann and Harry; if you figure it out, tell me! I want to see if any of you get it. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

**S**lowly Lann backed away, taking care not to trip in the muddy yard. The dog growled harshly, startling him and Lann scuttled away, skidding jerkily on his worn high-tops. Jetting, he slipped through a rotting hole in a fence, infested with termites and brushing the disgusting bugs off, ran through the neighborhood.

Lann high-tailed it across someone's ritzy backyard, complete with an oblong, clear blue pool and authentic wooden swing set. Hopping deftly over a fence, he halted at an old red brick building with overgrown vines of ivy creeping towards the barred windows. The lock on the iron fence clanged noisily as if alerting the orphanage heads to his absence- home, sweet, home.

Climbing over the fence (and ripping his threadbare gray shirt in the process), Lann whipped off his white cap with a red brim and tucked it in his back pocket, stuffing it in carelessly. Then he shook out the sweaty chocolate hair clinging to his scalp and snuck inside, carefully arranging his almost shoulder length hair in such a way that it flopped into his verdant eyes and covered his lightening-bolt scar- an old relic from the car accident that killed his parents.

"Lann!" squealed a young childish voice.

Looking down, Lann grinned at the small girl hanging onto his leg with the steadfastness of a monkey "Lann," she cried, bursting into tears now that she was sure of his attention, "I…I…"

"Now, now," Lann hushed, his green eyes softening to a soft hue, "Don't cry, Allie." he murmured, picking her up and brushing away her tears.

Slowly Allie's whimpers died down to sniffles and soon she was pouting irresistibly in Lann's hands, "The other's were laughing at me," she stated, her legs steadily thrumming against Lann's ripped jeans, "'cause I've got no mommy who can braid my hair real pretty like the other girls."

Lann frowned. A bad hair day and atrocious English to boot…what more could an eleven year old ask for?

"No one will tease you because of- What did you do to your hair!" Lann sounded mildly scandalized, and with good reason, Allie's perfectly straight blond hair was now spiked up in a manner reminiscent to Lann's and more importantly, it was a complete mess, "How ever did you tangle it so much?" he asked.

Allie blushed and touched her hair in dismay. "I tried to braid it myself," she wrung out, "and…and now…it's…" her breath hitched twice, "it's a mess!" she wailed.

Lann winced at the noise. "It's not a total mess," he soothed, trying desperately to think of a way out of the situation he had placed himself in, "Umm, come on, stop crying, please…please? I'll…I'll…I'll fix it for you."

"Really?" Allie stopped sobbing and turned her blue watery eyes on him. "You will?" she asked again.

Lann smiled fixedly. Damn all children and their huge eyes to hell. But instead of saying that, he nodded shortly and setting Allie down, crept into his room, carefully not disturbing James, his roommate, who would undoubtedly get a kick out of this, and grabbed a pair of scissors and two combs.

Waving to Alicia, who was obviously wondering what sort of damage he was going to try to inflict with nothing more than a pair of scissors and a comb, Lann nonchalantly walked into one of the girl's dormitories. Making sure that there wasn't anyone in the room (If there had been, he would have already heard the screaming of course, but still…), Lann stealthily skulked over to the dresser and lifted a handheld mirror, noting where it was before he had took it.

"And what, pray tell, are you going to do with that?" Alicia asked, startling him.

"I…" Harry shrugged, disarmingly, "There's this little monkey outside that…"

Alicia laughed. "I won't even ask," the older girl scolded, "but if you want my opinion then you could use it to show the orphanage head how much make-up she wears…and how much it's not helping."

Harry grinned. "It'd need to be a magical mirror then."

Alicia shook her head and moved aside, letting Lann pass. "Don't get in trouble again," she warned, "No one wants a problem child."

Lann paused next to her and then walked on. It was the bane and salvation of their existence- getting adopted. Everyone wanted to be, even Lann had to admit that he got sucked in sometimes. But…it wasn't that simple. No one wanted six-year-olds or eleven-year- olds, and especially not anything older. They wanted babies. Sweet darlings whose cheeks they could pinch. Lann rubbed his scar ruefully; and they definitely didn't want scarred ones. People like Alicia and James as great as they were (and they had gotten Lann _out of_ way more scrapes than he wanted to mention…almost as many as they had gotten him _into_) weren't going to get adopted; they were over the hill- fourteen. And the thing was…when you reached that age, could you really live with yourself, knowing that you hadn't been wanted?

"Lann!" Allie shrieked.

"Coming, coming," Lann bellowed back.

"Well, it's getting worse!" she screamed back, "Hurry!"

"Stop playing with it." he yelled, internally wincing at how much he sounded like a parent.

"Fine." Rounding the corner, Lann could see the unsatisfied pout on Allie's face and could help his short laugh, which ended when Allie saw him and glared. "Are you gonna fix it or not?" she sulked.

"Alright, alright, never let it be said that I did nothing for humanity." Lann remarked dryly, sitting down and trying to figure out from which angle to first start attacking Allie's hair from.

**…**

(Forty-five minutes later…)

"Hold the mirror here." Lann positioned Allie's hands a little above her forehead. "Now don't move them."

"Okay," Allie chirped happily, almost immediately letting the mirror drop down three inches.

Lann groaned and repositioned her hands. "Allie, come on. Do this correctly or else you'll look like a watermelon."

Lann had been trying to comb through Allie's tangles for almost a half an hour now, but to no avail. They had tried wetting it, drying it, steaming it, and Lann had even had a nifty idea involving three cans of coke and the fire extinguisher, but Allie had stamped her foot all over that one. So now they were back to Lann's first and most dangerous idea. If it didn't work, half the girls in the orphanage would kill him. They were going to try cutting Allie's hair, and almost everyone liked Allie's hair.

"Alright, Allie, let's start." Lann took one tangled lock of hair and eased his scissors through it, ready to snip it off when-

"WAIT!" the scissors slipped and Lann cursed- he had almost cut his own finger off.

"What?" he said crossly.

"What…what happens if you mess it up?"

Lann looked at her once again watering eyes and sighed, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his worn cap. "Look, if I mess up, then I'll give you my cap to cover your hair until it grows out again."

Allie gasped and lunging forward, grabbed the ragtag hat, clutching it to her chest. "Really?" she cried, "But…but you don't even let James wear the hat, and he's your best friend."

Lann reached forward to ruffle her hair, and then thinking better of it, patted her awkwardly on the head. "Well that just shows how much I like you Allie." he said, playfully nudging the young girl with his leg.

The hat had been one of the only things to come with Lann to the orphanage. There was the cap that used to be his father's and then there was the necklace of his mother's that he wore around his neck. The hat itself wasn't much to look at. In fact, it was really rather grisly. It was his father's favorite and he had been wearing it when he had died, so there were still faint blood stains around the edges and the brim. Lann figured that the whole allure of the dirty old thing was that he never anyone allowed to touch it, though he could be seen wearing it at times of the day…and even night.

"Everything alright now?" he asked.

Allie giggled, snuggling up to the hat, happily. "Go for it!"

Lann grinned and grabbed the same elusive strand of hair as before. Slowly, he-

"Harry Potter! I thought I told you not to run off."

Lann's hand jerked…damn, now Allie was going to get to keep his hat.

Suddenly, Lann was yanked up by the arm and marched over to the side. "What are you doing? You better not have not been playing a prank on that poor orphan, young man." The black-haired man shook him, "Your aunt and uncle are going to hear about this." he snapped, starting to drag him away by the ear.

"Ow!" Lann yelped, pulling on the man hand, "Get away from me, you psycho!"

Lann slapped his hand away and abruptly, the man let go, swearing and rubbing his leg. Looking down, Lann realized that Allie had run up and kicked him in the shin. Eh…she had definitely been spending too much time with him.

"Hey! What's going on here?" a young blond haired man strode into the room angrily, and protectively yanked both Allie and Lann away from him.

"James, relax." Lann grinned, "Allie's taken care of it."

"The hell she has. Lann, do you ever- What happened to your hair?"

"Look," the man said, completely fed up, "I don't know what tale Harry's spun for you, but-"

"Whose Harry?" all three of them cried.

The man blinked and then fiddled with his glasses nervously. "Oh…oh dear, well, you must understand…er…well it's just that you look exactly like him except for your hair, and the way you were fiddling with her hair-"

"Who are you?" James asked bluntly.

The man frowned as if upset at the interruption. "I'm a school teacher. My name's Mr. Garre. I'm taking a class around here today and I have this boy- I swear he looks exactly like you –and he disappeared. When I saw you-"

"Does this boy normally cut girls' hair?" Lann asked bemused.

Mr. Garre stuttered. "Well, no…no, but-"

"Mr. Garre, Mr. Garre, we found him; he was behind Dudley the entire time. You don't have to worry…" the orphanage head, Ms. Fisher, trailed off as she saw the three children, "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Why don't you ask him why he jumped Lann?" James questioned, glaring at the man, "He just hauls off, yelling and shaking him without reason. He could have hurt him!"

"James! Don't be so rude!" Ms. Fisher snapped, then turning to Mr. Garre, she simpered, "I am so sorry for their rudeness. They'll leave…NOW!"

Led from the foyer by a still seething James, Lann threw one last look over his shoulder only to see a young boy enter the room. He matched gazes with him and realized that he had dark brown hair and thick glasses covering his eyes. Eyes…that looked a lot like his.

Suddenly Lann slapped his forehead. Even after all of this, Allie's hair was still a mess.

**…**

(Two hours later)

Well…at least it was over. The teacher and his class had left. Ms. Fisher had finished yelling at them an hour ago, and Alicia had promised to take care of Allie's hair…what a day.

"You goin' ta sleep?" James asked sleepily, "It's pretty late."

Lann grinned and turned back towards the moon. "Don't worry, I'll be up in time for work tomorrow."

"Better be, after the way I saved your ass today…" yawning, James trailed off, rolling over to get some sleep.

"I didn't need any saving." Lann answered, before blowing out the dripping candle and turning towards bed.

Suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye and Lann whipped around, inspecting the night sky…There! There was some sort of strange, flying, contraption heading towards him. Biting his lip, Lann threw open the window, barely aware of the cold wind, though he did hear James mutter something decidedly unpleasant against his nature.

The thing flew into the room and Lann quickly shut the window, shivering in his threadbare pajamas. What was this thing? Slowly, Lann crept towards it…it looked like an owl, but what owl flew into peoples' rooms? Almost imperiously, the owl stuck out his leg and Lann noticed a piece of paper tied to it. Shakily, Lann untied the scroll and took it to his bed. It was addressed to him.

Slowly, eyes wide, Lann unfurled the scroll, watching the owl sitting patiently in corner apprehensively. Little did he know that only a couple of miles away the young boy he had seen earlier with messy brown hair and glowing green eyes was sitting on his bed like he was. Little did he know that that child was reading the same kind of fantastic letter as him. Little did he know that their destinies would be entwined forever.

**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued…


	3. Resemblance

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**Resemblance**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone, guess what I've learned, I can't stop myself from starting another story, even though I haven't finished even one of the ones I already have. _Sighs. _I couldn't help it, this idea just came to me, and I don't think I've ever even read a variation of this. Anyway, I've been wondering if anyone noticed the significance of the names: Lann and Harry; if you figure it out, tell me! I want to see if any of you get it. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

**L**ann slouched down in his seat, watching all the other children boarding the train. As he watched, a cluster of redheads passed him all talking excitedly. Lann shifted in his seat and turned to watch the family round the corner and cross into one of the carriages. They looked happy together.

The next family to go by was a trio of blonde's. Lann squinted, rubbing his tired eyes and almost missed the regal looking man's first sign of affection towards his younger double that Lann assumed was his son. The snob placed a commanding hand on his son's shoulder and led him towards the carriages, though Lann noticed that he went straight towards the front carriages, the ones farthest away from the redheads'.

Then a young pudgy boy standing next to a bushy haired girl bounded in front of him, the girl talking excitedly, while the boy nervously stroked what looked like a toad. Lann hoped they weren't related. Standing a couple feet away was another family. The mother was hugging a bronzed brunette with tears in her tears. She was quietly whispering something in his ears, while the rounded man was clapping him on the back and pressing what looked like money into his hand. Another boy who was even more "rounded" than his father was standing near him holding the boy's trunk.

The mother hugged the boy again, now sobbing tearfully and Lann abruptly turned, something very unlike him growing in the pit of his stomach. He squashed the feeling down ruthlessly and turned to look at his own meager belongings. James had taken him to London and from there to Diagon Alley where he had gotten his supplies. Fortunately, there was a fund for orphans like him; unfortunately, it didn't allow for much.

All of Lann's things were second-hand from his battered leather trunk to worn school robes. The only thing that Lann could call truly his was his wand. It was beautiful- eleven and a half inches, ebony, with a phoenix feather. Inside his pocket, Lann's hand tightened around the wondrous piece of wood…it was so perfect, and so what if it had a bad history? Lann pouted as he recalled the old man's words.

"_You see, that wand's brother did great things, terrible, but great."_

"_Huh?"_

_His eyes narrowed. "Have you heard of Voldemort?"_

And so, Lann had the brother wand of a madman who had terrorized the wizarding world for years until little Harry Potter had mysteriously defeated him. Lann shrugged; no big deal, he wasn't afraid of some silly old wizard that died ten years ago.

Leaning back in his seat, Lann flipped his cap onto his head, pressing his long bangs into his eyes, covering his unusual scar. He closed his green eyes and napped lightly, jolting awake when the train gave an enormous creak, and wheeled out of the station like a well-oiled machine. Grinning excitably, Lann stretched like a cat and sprawled over the seat, resting his head on his arms as to look out the window without moving from his lazed out position.

Then a sudden shift in his periphery vision caused him to frown and look back over his shoulder. Standing in the doorway was the brown haired boy from before. Lann frowned; the boy was staring at him spectacularly hard. How long had he been there?

"Is something wrong?" Lann asked stiffly, swinging his legs to the floor.

The boy shrugged and walked into the room. "I just help noticing our striking appearance to each other…that and every other compartment is full. Do you mind?" With out waiting for an answer, the boy came in and sat in the unoccupied seat.

"Umm…" Lann wasn't sure how to answer this strange, confident boy. He seemed so sure of himself and his attitude…"Actually, we don't look that alike." Lann racked his brains. "You're…taller." he ended lamely.

The boy laughed and stuck out his hand. "I'm Harry Potter."

Lann took his hand. "Harry Pot- Wait the Harry Potter?"

Harry blushed, raking a hand through his short, military style hair cut. "Well, yes. But I had no idea until recently."

"Oh…" Lann shrugged; there was really no need to press. He knew that if he was Harry, he'd hate it if people gave him attention for something that had gotten his parents killed. "Well, I'm-"

"Lann, right?" Harry offered tentatively, obviously relieved that his famousness had spoiled his chances at making a new friend.

Lann on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you learn that?"

Harry flushed. "While I was at the orphanage in Little Whinging. The teacher who tried to break your arm should really have been trying to break mine. I've been wanting to say sorry to you, and when I saw you from the window, well…"

Lann gaped. "You're _that_ Harry?" he asked, seemingly more awed by that than his celebrity status.

"Yeah," Harry said, chuckling softly, "It's cool that we live so near each other and are both going to Hogwarts, isn't it."

Lann grinned suddenly. "Yeah, it is."

The next couple of hours past in a blur, the two boys becoming fast friends, bound by their shared hometown and mysterious likeness to each other. Lann, though, just couldn't understand why Harry was here, talking to him. He could have sat anywhere. The whole thing about every other compartment being full was a bunch of crap. Any compartment would have room for someone like him. And it wasn't just his famousness either; Harry wore that like an uncomfortable jacket, something that he kept to keep the cold out, but nothing else.

It was just Harry himself.

He was the kind of guy everyone would look to when he entered the room. Lann was the kind of person, people edged away from, fearing for their wallets. He was confident and outgoing where Lann was shy and studious. No, Lann decided, no friendship of theirs would ever work out.

"Harry-" Lann began when suddenly the door slammed open and a redheaded boy tumbled into the room, sporting a black eye. Three boys, one with blond hair and the other two, enormous, followed him inside.

"Hey!" Harry said leaping up, "What are you three doing?"

"Malfoy?" Lann asked at the same time, studying the boy who he met earlier on the trip to Diagon Alley.

"You know them, Lann?" Harry questioned, glaring at the three boys.

"Erm…yeah," Lann murmured, wondering why that would even matter, "I know the blonde."

"Oh, alright then," Harry said suspiciously, helping the redhead up, "Well…I dunno, maybe they should leave." Harry looked pointedly between Malfoy and the gangly redhead.

"Uh…right. Come on, Draco." Lann grabbed Draco's arm and ushered him into the hallway, letting the door snap shut behind him. "What were you doing?" he asked, decidedly upset.

Draco Malfoy looked at him condescendingly. "Don't you worry yourself about it, Lann," he said, patting the smaller boy's head, "Just having some fun with the lesser blooded." Suddenly, he yanked Lann up close. "Perhaps you should shut up about it unless you want to get hurt." Pushing Lann's thin frame against the wall, Draco gestured to the other two brutes with him and left, chuckling.

Lann stared after them, shivering when he remembered their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"_So Lann," Draco whispered, his breath hot and too close against Lann's cheek. "You're an orphan, huh."_

"_Yeah, so?" Lann answered defiantly, trying not to think that he was standing in the alley next to Madame Malkin's completely alone, except for this blonde haired boy towering over him. _

_Draco sniffed. "You're pretty overconfident for a little mudblood. Your dirty blood stinks, do you know that?" Draco pushed him against the wall, knocking his head against the dirty stone. "Stay out of my way, mudblood."_

The boy was psychotic, Lann thought. He must have had bad parents.

Shaking his head, Lann opened the door, catching the redhead on the way out. He smiled and waved at Harry, but glared at Lann. Lann looked back at him benignly. The tall boy probably thought that he was in cahoots with Malfoy, when it couldn't be anything farther from the truth.

"What happened to him?" Lann asked Harry after the redhead left, "Is his eye okay?"

Harry shrugged. "I couldn't do anything for his eye, but it seems that that guy and his friends were roughing him up. He seems nice though, name's Ron."

"Well, the guy who was ordering the roughing up was Malfoy and he's not nice. He's a real jerk." Lann said rubbing his arm.

Harry looked at concernedly. "Are you okay? I shouldn't have let you go outside with him alone."

Lann smiled at him wryly. "Don't worry; I can take care of myself, Harry. I don't need a protector." _Not all the time at least._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" James snarled._

_He grabbed Malfoy and practically threw himself across the grimy alleyway. He crashed into unsteady stack of crates, rats squealing under his feet. Malfoy's face contorted into a mask of anger. "You…you…" he sputtered._

"_You keep your hands off him!" James hissed, pulling Lann roughly to his feet. "If I ever hear that you've laid a hand on him again, I kill you."_

_James pulled Lann out of the alley, muttering angrily. "Oh James…" Lann sighed, "I think you just made it a lot worse."_

"Yeah I know." Harry smiled, saying, in a way words couldn't, that he really didn't.

Lann frowned. He was smaller than most, shaggy haired and knobby kneed, but he didn't need someone to take care of him. He could take care of himself just fine. "Look Harry- Hey look!"

Lann scrambled over to the window, Harry following. "We're slowing down." Harry said, grinning.

Lann grinned back, earlier indignation forgotten. "Yeah, we've reached Hogwarts."

Quickly, Lann and Harry slipped into their robes and straggled out into the hallway, barely catching a loud voice calling, "First yers, first yers, over 'ere!"

"Hagrid." Harry suddenly muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, just…come on, hurry up!" Harry and Lann ran towards Hagrid's voice, skidding to a halt in front of him just as he was about to leave. "Hagrid!" Harry yelled, "We're here."

"Oh, 'ere you are, 'Arry. I'd thought I missed you. Come along. You and your friend gotta get into the boat."

Lann quickly scrambled into the last small wooden boat, Harry right beside him. Almost immediately, the boat took off and drifted across the water, the lake widening to expose Hogwarts. Both boys gasped, unable to believe that this would be their home for the next seven years.

It was beautiful. The castle was huge, full of sweeping currents and rising towers. Lann couldn't wait to explore all of it. "It's amazing, isn't it?" Harry whispered to him.

Lann nodded back and both boys basked in their childlike awe and naivety, unaware of how little of it they'd have in the future.

Finally, Lann and Harry entered Hogwarts, led by a strict teacher they learned was called Professor McGonagall. She told them and all the other first years to wait here until she called for them and then left the children waiting in the antechamber.

Lann looked around him, studying his year mates. The bushy haired girl from before was still talking to the same boy. Did she ever stop? And the redhead- Ron –was making his way towards them, as was Malfoy and his gang. Darn that. Other people were looking at them too. Could it be how alike Harry and he looked? The resemblance was astonishing, or was it that they had all found that Lann was an orphan, someone to be pitied and looked down upon, not to be made friends-

He was being ridiculous. They were probably all staring at Harry- he was the boy who lived, and surprisingly, he was _still_ standing next to Lann. He didn't seem to mind that Lann was an orphan, though he did seem to think that Lann needed help when-

Suddenly Lann stiffened. It had felt like an electric zing went up his back.

"_Massster…My Massster…KILL, KILL, KILL"_

"Harry!" Lann whispered, his fingers scrambling for Harry's robe, "Harry did you hear that?

"Hear what?" Harry asked, completely oblivious.

"That…that- Oh!" Lann shifted from foot to foot in agitation, before- "Well come on. We can't let it hurt anyone!" Lann tore out of the room, following the direction he thought that he had heard the disembodied voice take, Harry hot on his heels.

"Lann…Lann, wait! What are you doing?" Harry asked, finally catching up to his friend who had paused at a room and was slowly entering it, his face white. "Lann," Harry hissed again, "Lann, stop it. Come back here. McGonagall told us to stay in the antechamber."

"But…" Lann wiped his sweaty hands on his robes, "There's something here. I can feel it."

Harry looked around the empty room. "There's nothing here, Lann." Suddenly his voice softened, and he put a friendly arm over Lann's shoulders. "Look, you're probably suffering from some nerves. Relax. The sorting will be over before you-"

Lann wrenched away from him. "I'm not panicking because of the sorting. SOMEONE"S GOING TO DIE!" he screamed.

Harry dropped his hand, his face paling. "What…what are you talking about?" he whispered.

"I heard this voice and it was talking about killing," Harry blabbered, "But we can't let it-"

Suddenly, Harry sucked in a breath, his eyes huge. "No, Lann wait. Don't take another step back-"

Abruptly, Lann tripped over seemingly nothing and landed on his rump, his legs suddenly and inexplicably entangled in scarlet cloth. "Wha-"

Harry gasped, making Lann look down. Underneath him was a half a man lying still, face pressed into the ground. The other half on him seemed to be gone…or- Harry ran over to Lann, dragging him off the man, and with Lann came the rest of the scarlet cloth, exposing the man completely.

"How did…"

"I don't…"

Both boys left their sentences unfinished, staring at the body a few feet away from them. He seemed to be a young man, but he was wearing the robes of a Hogwarts teacher. Everything about him was perfectly neat and ordinary as if he suddenly decided to doze off on the floor…except for his oddly colored turban. Instead of wrapped around his head, the turban was in tatters around his head.

"Oh." Lann paled even further.

Harry followed his gaze, seeing blood seeping out of a deep wound. "Shit." He whispered, the swear feeling right at the moment.

"How did…"Lann trembled slightly, "How did you know he was there?"

Intense green eyes bored into his and Harry struggled to find an answer. "I…I…Lann, it doesn't matter. We've got to find a teacher, Lann. Come on. Maybe we can save him."

Harry grabbed Lann's hand and pulled, but Lann refused to move. Instead he shook his head, eyes not moving from the body. Harry suddenly clutched Lann's arm and shielded him from the sight, looking straight into his eyes. Green to green. "Oh Lann," Harry whispered desperately, "You don't think…is he…is he…" Harry swallowed convulsively, not daring to ask the question.

Lann looked over Harry's shoulder, eyes glowing eerily in the dim room. "He's _dead_." he uttered softly.

And destiny was set.

**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued…


	4. The Sorting

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**The Sorting**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone, guess what I've learned, I can't stop myself from starting another story, even though I haven't finished even one of the ones I already have. _Sighs. _I couldn't help it, this idea just came to me, and I don't think I've ever even read a variation of this. Anyway, I've been wondering if anyone noticed the significance of the names: Lann and Harry; if you figure it out, tell me! I want to see if any of you get it. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

"**S**o you two just happened to come to the exact place where this professor was lying… under an invisibility cloak might I add?" Professor Snape asked skeptically. He looked at the two almost identical boys- the one who was Potter had to identify himself so –with an aura of disdain. Only the beginning of the year and already here was Potter- Potter sticking his nose into school business, Potter annoying him, Potter acting like the idiot his father used to be. Snape couldn't help but feel the start of a blinding headache build between his temples.

"Actually, sir-" the other boy- called Lann –started, when Potter delicately stepped on his foot, right in front of Snape- definitely not a Slytherin.

"What- what is your last name?" Snape asked.

Flustered by the mid-sentence change, Lann floundered for a couple minutes before shrugging. "I don't have one."

Both Harry and Snape looked at him. "You don't have-" Harry started.

"Gentlemen, Professor, have we figured out what happened here?" Headmaster Dumbledore swept into the room and benignly clasped Harry's hand. "Harry, my boy, how are you doing?"

"Fine, Headmaster."

"Well then," The Headmaster looked around the room. "I know this is serious Professor, but the boys shouldn't miss their sorting. If you slip in now then you'll just make it."

"Okay sir." Harry said enthusiastically, starting to drag Lann towards the door.

"Wait, Headmaster, you can't be serious. These boys just saw the death of a colleague. There's more to talk about." Snape insisted.

"Well Severus, if you really need someone to stay, then perhaps Lann can stay while Harry attends his sorting. That way-"

"It's Lann's sorting too!" Harry interrupted indignantly.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, you are right, Harry." He winked at him, his eyes twinkling. "You two run along. I'll deal with Professor Snape."

Both boys darted out of the room, Lann chancing a look behind him to see Snape's sallow skin turning an angry red just as the door slammed shut behind him, barely missing the tail of his cloak.

* * *

Running back to the main entrance, Lann grabbed Harry just before the taller boy entered the Great Hall. "Wait Harry, why did you stop me from telling Snape about the voice, and how did you know where the body was? Do you-"

Harry shushed him. "Later Lann. Lets get sorted first, and then we'll talk. I'll meet you after dinner, alright?"

Lann nodded in agreement and the two of them entered the Great Hall. They stepped forward just as a boy named Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin. As he walked over to the table on the far left, Professor McGonagall smiled at them and called Harry to step forward near the decrepit hat sitting on a stool.

Harry, however, was busy staring at the ceiling, enchanted to look like the sky, and missed not only McGonagall's call, but also the disquieting silence that had descended afterwards. Rolling his eyes, Lann pushed Harry forward and Harry stumbled towards the Professor with a sheepish look on his face.

Then with an air of confidence, he sat down on the stool and pulled the Sorting Hat over his ears. A minute later, the Sorting Hat yelled out: Gryffindor!

The far right table exploded in cheers, screaming Harry's name and chanting "We got Potter". The noise got so loud that no one heard Professor McGonagall call out Lann's name. Ah, Lann thought dryly, the pleasures of going directly after the boy-who-lived. Grinning at Harry, Lann sat down on the stool as the school quieted realizing that there was another student to be sorted and that it was one that Harry Potter seemed to be interested in.

Lann's last view of he school was Harry's bright smile and discreet thumbs up. Then the Sorting Hat slipped over his head.

_Now, you're interesting._ A low humming voice floated into his ear and Harry forced himself not to scrunch up his shoulder and instead respond:

**Hi, um…before we start the sorting, could you tell what you'll be getting me into?** Harry questioned.

_What, didn't you hear the song?_ The hat asked plaintively.

**Actually I missed it.** Harry answered guiltily.

_Of course, there's always someone. Do you children know how long it takes to rhyme the word 'ambition'?_

**Uhh…**

_Never mind. Gryffindors are brave and courageous; Hufflepuffs are loyal and just; Ravenclaws are intelligent and witty; and Slytherin are clever and ambitious. Now lets see where you'll go. Hmm…you'd do good in Ravenclaw. Not a bad mind and you've already read all your textbooks. Ah, you might want to brush up on Potions and straighten up those ingredients._

**Thanks, but I don't want to consider myself witty. It reminds me of those old church ladies…**

_Right then, how about Hufflepuff. You are very-_

**I'm not just; I've stolen before.**

_You're brave, maybe-_

**I don't particularly want to be in the same house as Harry. Nothing personal, but I want to be his friend and in that house I'd be nothing but a follower.**

The hat laughed. _I don't think you'll ever be a follower Lann. You've got great things ahead of you and since there's nowhere else to go, I guess it's-_

**No wait**, Harry thought frantically, **I take it back. I've heard of Slytherin and I'm muggleborn. I'll be slaughtered there. You can't-**

"Slytherin!" The word was shouted to the entire Great Hall and Lann slowly pulled the hat off, but not before hearing the hat give a low chuckle and say: _I knew I could trick you into it._

Lann stared at the hat in shock. The stupid hat had backed him into a corner! Was it even allowed to do that?

"Go on Lann." McGonagall said softly, pushing him gently in the direction of the Slytherin table.

Lann slowly walked towards his new house table. Unlike Harry's sorting, it was eerily quiet. They must have all realized that he was muggleborn. From what Lann had heard of Slytherin, mostly from students, Slytherins were notorious for being close-minded bigots who hated muggleborns- namely people exactly like Lann.

Lann really would be slaughtered there.

Reaching the table, he realized that there wasn't going to be any place for him to sit. The table was very full and the Slytherins with empty seats next to him were giving him very nasty looks and Lann decided that he'd rather sit on the floor than fear whatever they would put in his food.

Mouth twisting derisively, Lann turned to find another place to sit. Harry was actually motioning for him to come sit with him, and he could- Suddenly Draco Malfoy whispered something to the burly boy next to him and after he hopped out of his seat, Malfoy gestured imperiously for Lann to join him.

Not sure what kind of joke this was, Lann approached cautiously, startled into a yelp when the boy Draco had forced to get up pushed him down into the chair and leaned over him threateningly. Before Lann could protest, Dumbledore called the Hall to order, gave a final speech, and waved his hand to order the food to the table.

As the tables in front of them filled with food, the students began to chatter and laugh with the people next. Lann, however, was transfixed with all the food. Even a dead man wouldn't be able to deter him from food, as it seemed to be doing with Harry. Lann had spent enough time going hungry to know that you took food whenever and wherever you found it.

Lann stopped himself from frantically grabbing at the food, though. Dinner at the Slytherin table didn't seem to be the cheerful melee it was at the other tables. They were talking, true, happily even, but dinner seemed to be a pretty solemn affair. Students passed dishes around the table respectably and each student waited before taking a portion from the platter.

Oh well, Lann thought, he could wait until the platter came his way.

Ten minutes later it did. Taking it from a boy he had learned- from the soft conversation –was called Goyle, Harry reached up to take a piece of chicken and pass it when Malfoy smacked his hand away and took the platter from him. Harry frowned at him and reached to take the platter back when the boy above grabbed him and settled him back in his chair, arms resting heavily on Lann's shoulders.

"Mudblood." he grunted.

"What he means is that Mudbloods don't dirty our food. You don't eat here. If you get hungry, you can go to the kitchens." Draco explained pleasantly, leering at Lann.

Lann stared at him open-mouthed. "You can't be-"

"Oh and here's another thing. Mudbloods don't talk; they don't have names; they aren't people. They do whatever we order them to do. That's what they were made for." Draco added, "Now pour me some water, mudblood." Draco looked at him crudely and then turned to talk to the girl on the other side of him.

Lann stiffened. There wasn't any way he was going to serve Draco Malfoy. That little pig could get his own water. Suddenly Lann winced as the boy above him wrenched his shoulder painfully, forcing a cut-off cry from Lann's mouth. Muttering under his breath, Lann reached over to pour Malfoy a glass of water.

Maybe he'd just dye his precious blonde hair blue later tonight.

Putting the pitcher down, Lann looked around hungrily and settled in desolately; dinner was going to be an _extremely_ long affair.

* * *

They had pulled him away from Harry before they had gotten a chance to talk.

Lann fumed over it as he followed the other first-year Slytherin's to their rooms. Harry had even looked like he had saved some food for Lann but one look from Malfoy and Goyle and the other boy had dragged him away. He was going to dye all of their heads blue, Lann thought vengefully. Or, he decided looking at the boy's bulging muscles, maybe he'd do something a little subtler. He hadn't survived in an orphanage for the first eleven years of his life by being glaring obvious.

Entering the room, Lann walked over to the last untaken bed, but was violently pushed away from it. "Mud-"

"Yes," Lann snapped, "I get it, Mudbloods don't get proper beds either. So sorry." he finished sarcastically.

All four boys looked at him and with a huff Lann sat down next to his shabby trunk and laid his head against the bed he should have been sleeping in as the others starting changing and disappearing into the bathroom. Lann, on the other hand, watched them go back and forth doggedly.

He wasn't stupid. He'd climb into bed the second the last of them fell asleep. It wouldn't be long; these were pureblooded aristocrats- he'd be able to outlast them any day.

Three hours later when Lann finally tired of listening to their inane conversation, which was inter-spliced with not so subtle barbs towards Lann himself, Lann got up and got his knapsack. Waving the bag at Draco, he mouthed, bathroom and fairly ran into the adjoining lavatory. Once there, Lann went inside one of the separate showers stalls and locked the door. Then he slid to the ground and opened his worn backpack.

Inside were not his toiletries, but instead a mêlée of assorted things ranging from his cap to parchment and his schoolbooks. Sighing, Lann pulled out his potions book. It was his first subject tomorrow and the Sorting Hat _had_ told him to brush up on his ingredients.

That and it looked like it'd be a while before he actually got to bed tonight.

Somewhere far away, as Lann sat desolately in his cold, wet shower stall reading his Potions book again and Harry huddled in his warm bed sharing sweets with Ron and the rest of his dorm mates, Destiny cackled gleefully.

**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued…


	5. Black

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**Black**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone, guess what I've learned, I can't stop myself from starting another story, even though I haven't finished even one of the ones I already have. _Sighs. _I couldn't help it, this idea just came to me, and I don't think I've ever even read a variation of this. Anyway, I've been wondering if anyone noticed the significance of the names: Lann and Harry; if you figure it out, tell me! I want to see if any of you get it. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

**B**y the third month of school, Harry was thoroughly fed up of Hogwarts.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the classes or his new friends- Ron and Hermione, but those bloody Slytherins wouldn't let him see Lann! He had known from the first day when he had seen how they didn't let Lann eat anything that the Slytherins were going to be a problem, but he hadn't counted on how big a one they would be. Especially Malfoy. Poor Lann had turned into Draco bloody Malfoy's personal lapdog, an almost permanent haunted look on his face.

Now Harry knew that Lann wasn't stupid. It was evidenced by the way he either ate his meals incredibly early or very late- it was the only way he could get something to eat, and the way he kept his head down in all his classes but still managed to score perfectly on all his practical and written tests. But it was just so unfair. The first time Lann had passed him the hallway, he had smiled at him and the next time Harry had saw him, he was limping and bruised.

Of course, there were many instances like that, the most noticeable taking place in the Potions classroom. Snape was a bastard, but as Lann had pointed out when he had sat next to him during their first Potions class, he was his bastard.

"_Look, Dumbledore likes me. He's already invited me up for tea twice. Yesterday and the day before. If we go up together, then-"_

"_Mr. Potter." Harry jumped. He had been whispering to Lann, trying to get the other boy to spill about what the other boys in Slytherin were doing to him so that he could rat on them, but Lann insisted that he could handle it himself. Stupid, bloody, prideful, idiot. All Harry wanted to know was their names and what they did so that when Lann got himself landed in the hospital wing again, Harry could go kick all of their arses at once. _

"_Mr. Potter." Snape repeated. "Are you paying any attention whatsoever?"_

_Harry gulped. "Of course sir." he answered brashly, watching Lann out of the corner of his eye. He was keeping his head down, watching through his eyelashes demurely. The position sent a flash of anger through him. This wasn't the Lann that Harry knew. The Lann so full of life on the bus. The Lann who laughed with him over pranks and told him with a smile on his face about his time in the orphanage. Lann was supposed-_

"_Mr. Potter-"_

"_What?" Harry snapped, a little harsher than necessary._

_Snape's eyes narrowed and Lann kicked him hard under the table. "Well," Snape said turning to the class, "since, Mr. Potter here obviously thinks that he knows more than me and has no need to pay attention in class, then perhaps you can tell me what an infusion of goodswell weed and gopher egg result in?"_

_Harry opened his mouth and then shut it with a crack, a dull red creeping up his face. "I-" he started before stopping as he heard the resulting snickers from the other Slytherins._

"_I thought so." Snape said snidely, turning away._

_As he stalked towards the front of the class, Lann whispered to him, "Nothing."_

"_What?" Harry whispered back._

"_Nothing. The two can't be infused." Harry looked at him. "Say it." Lann insisted._

_Harry shrugged. It was already obvious that Snape already hated him from the way he had said his name during roll call. There was no way he could make it any worse. "Nothing. You can't infuse goodswell weed and gopher egg." he called out boldly._

_Snape's back stiffened and he turned and strode back towards their table. Eyeing the two of them, he barked, "Lann, after class." Then to Harry: "Ten points from Gryffindor for stealing another person's answer."_

_Harry winced. He had probably deserved that one. He had taken Lann's answer. Silently, he turned to Lann and mouthed sorry. Lann grinned back at him and leant in to whisper, his breath moist against Harry's ear, "I wanted you to answer." Then laughing softly, "Did you see the way Snape's mouth twisted up like a prune when he thought you got the right answer?"_

_Harry grinned and laughed silently. Now this was the Lann he knew._

There had been other instances like that in classes during the few moments that Harry got to see Lann. Too few really, because Harry knew that Lann was the real thing. One of those friends that came along once in a lifetime. One of those people that was so special that no one else could see it. No one else could understand it. But Harry that is. Harry could understand it and he wasn't prepared to prepared to lose that, not to Malfoy and his uppity I-can-barely-get-my-wand-to-spark-while-Lann-can-transfigure-needles-to-toothpicks-and-yet-I'm-still-better-than-him attitude.

Harry shook his head and entered his defense classroom. Harry and Lann had since found out that the man they had found that night was a professor, the defense against dark arts professor to be exact and now Dumbledore was teaching it, oddly for sure, but still, they had a class with their headmaster. How lucky.

Walking over, Harry staked his claim next to Lann and leaning over, he whispered. "Hey you'll be free this evening. Let's meet at the kitchens."

Lann wrinkled his nose and kept reading his book, pointedly not looking at him. Harry knew it was nothing personal, just that the Slytherins would leave him alone if they thought that Harry was the one who liked him and not the other way around. As long as Lann didn't act affectionate towards Harry they were safe sitting together. That way, Lann could pretend that Harry was just an annoying nuisance. Hell sometimes he even made Harry _feel_ like an nuisance.

"How do you know I'll be free?" Lann muttered, "I have to the library right after this and then I have a extra class with Snape and then the others will probably keep me busy all night doing their homework or something or the other." Lann shook his shaggy hair, flattening it over the odd lightening shaped scar that sometimes Harry thought only he saw. Certainly whenever he tried to mention it to Ron or Hermione they'd look at him and ask what scar he was talking about. "I knew I shouldn't have cursed their fingers boneless." Lann murmured wryly.

Harry laughed, not bothering to keep his voice down. "In a fit of rage?" he guessed.

"More like if I didn't do something right then and there, something would have exploded and I couldn't have been certain that it wouldn't be my head." Lann whispered through the side of his mouth, "So yeah, it'll take a week for the bones to grow back, though I think Pomfrey's just punishing them and I'm stuck doing their homework. I won't be free."

Harry looked Lann up and down. "You healed yourself?" he asked lowly. At Lann's nod, Harry asked, "No fevers? No chills?"

"No." Lann said dryly, "It only happened the first time."

"_Harry," Lann hissed from one bookshelf over, "I need your help with something."_

_Harry looked up from the Hogwarts: A History book that he was looking though and smiled at Lann, walking over. "What's wrong?" he asked._

"_Umm…" Lann shifted nervously from foot to foot and looked to the side. "Not here." Harry looked around. There were multiple Slytherins around. Harry nodded and led the way to an empty classroom. Once entering, Lann looked at him and said. "You don't have to do this."_

_Harry looked at him oddly. "Why don't tell me what it is first." he said. Lann didn't really need to though, Harry had a feeling that it was bad._

"_I can't keep going to the infirmary or walk around limping. People are going to notice, so I'm going to try and heal myself, at least just the very minor stuff, but I need someone to be here in case something happens or I screw up and don't look at me that way, I'm handling this on my own, and all I want to know is if you'll do this or not." Lann said, speaking very quickly._

_Harry blinked at him and then pursed his lips and held out for the book. "What do I need to do?" he asked softly._

_Lann shook his head. "Nothing, unless something goes wrong. Then you have to take me to Madame Pomfrey."_

_Harry nodded tightly and sucked in a deep breath as Lann rolled up his sleeve to reveal an angry blue bruise on his forearm. "It's not bad." Lann said, seeing his look, "just don't touch it." he finished, stopping Harry from reaching out and placing his hand over it._

_Harry stepped back as Lann began chanting the spell and watched as the blue slowly melted and changed to a faint yellowish color. Lann grinned victoriously at Harry who couldn't help grinning back. Of course then Lann fell to the ground in a dead faint, and Harry had had to drag him up to the infirmary, gripping about stupid prats who couldn't be trusted to take care of their own health, but…_

Harry quickly sat down as Dumbledore entered the classroom. "Just be at the kitchens, Lann." Harry ended, forestalling the argument, "I know you'll be free."

Lann rolled his eyes at him and turned towards Dumbledore as he started speaking. "Children, today I would like to speak about Pensieves. Does anyone know what they are?"

Lann kept his head down while Hermione's hand leapt into the air. Without waiting to be called on, she said, "They're memory holders, sir. You can place memories into them from your head and watch them again to analyze them. It's a great help to older wizards who have been alive for hundreds of years and have too many memories in their head."

"Very good Ms. Granger. Five points to Gryffindor." Dumbledore smiled pleasantly at the beaming girl. "Now I have pensieve of my own and today we're going to study how it works." Dumbledore brought out what looked like a decorated stone basin and showed it to the class before pointing his wand at his head and drawing out what looked like wisps of smoke and putting them in the basin, stirring the mixture.

"This is great!" Harry whispered.

"Yeah, I guess, but-" Lann hesitated, "Ever notice how even though this is defense class, we never actually learn any defense?"

"So, we'll probably get to that later. What's the big rush?" Harry questioned.

Lann shrugged. "It's nothing," Lann said, twirling his quill, "I just- I guess I wish you could learn some defense."

Harry laughed at him though he could sense some underlying discomfort that Lann was holding back. But then the class gasped as Dumbledore showed them a memory of a duel and Harry turned to face the front again. He would ask Lann about it when they met tonight.

It was probably nothing anyway.

* * *

Lann read a lot.

Not for class, though his extra knowledge did come handy, but because the only way to survive in the house of snakes was to be faster, smarter, and cunning than your opponent and since Lann's opponents were everyone in the entire house, Lann had a lot of catching up to do.

That's why he thought he had a headache after defense class, except he always had a headache after defense class and-

Lann stumbled as Goyle brushed into him deliberately. They wouldn't touch him while he was in classes or with Harry, but once Harry had left with Ron and Hermione to go back to their tower it was open season on his arse. Harry ignored Goyle and walked quickly towards Snape's private rooms, bypassing the library completely. Maybe Snape would let him stay there for a while. He certainly was different than what Harry and he had first thought of him anyway.

_Harry had insisted on waiting for him after potions class even it meant that he's be late and Lann had insisted that he didn't. The problem had been solved when Snape had come out and told Harry to go to his next class and watched until he did so. _

"_Lann, inside." Snape said, opening the door into the classroom back open. 'I have a class in ten minutes."_

_Lann nodded as he walked inside. He rather thought that it bugged Snape not to be able to address him by his last name like he did everyone else. Hell, it bugged Lann that people like Draco Malfoy had to call him the same name that Harry did. First names should be reserved for friends only, Lann thought. Unfortuntely, that didn't work when you only had one name to your person._

"_Lann," Snape started, "You gave Potter the answer, didn't you?"_

_Well there no point it lying now. "Yes, sir. I did." Lann said respectfully._

"_And why didn't you answer the question yourself?" Snape demanded._

"_Because, sir…" Lann hesitated, and then went on, "You wanted the answer from Harry. You wouldn't have accepted it from anyone else and…Harry's my friend. I wanted to help him out."_

_Snape snorted. "A Potter friends with a Slytherin. Don't be unrealistic, Lann. Potter's the golden boy of the school. He'll never see you as anything more than a lapdog- a dirty Slytherin."_

_Lann frowned. "With all due respect, sir, you don't even know him. I do, at least, I know him better than you do and I don't think that he'll do that, not to me."_

_Snape scoffed. "Fine then. It's not important who you talk to anyway. I want to talk to you about something else. You've memorized the text."_

_It was a statement, not a question, but Lann nodded anyway. "So did Granger and Malfoy and any other student worth his salt." Snape continued, "But how did know about the goodswell root and the gopher's egg. It's not in the book."_

"_Well, yes…but isn't it obvious? Goodswell root is a close familial member to foolsred which has no reaction to gopher's egg when infused." Lann thought over his line of reasoning and then shrugged, embarrassed. "It was just a guess, sir. A lucky guess."_

"_A good guess." Snape said staring at him. "A very good guess. Most third years wouldn't know that." Snape looked at him contemplatively. "I'm going to offer you something and I suggest you take me up on it."_

"_Sir?"_

"_Everyday after classes you will come here and help me with potions. It'll provide you with extra experience and…" Snape paused, "It'll give you somewhere to go after classes when there aren't any teachers around."_

_Lann looked at him puzzled and then angry. He knew! He knew and he wasn't doing anything- well, actually, Snape was giving him an out, a subtle out, if only Lann could bring himself to take it. "I-"_

"Professor Snape," Lann called, entering the rooms, "I'm here."

"Don't yell boy." Snape grumbled, hovering intently over a blue, bubbling potion. Boy had taken the place of Lann's name about a week into school, but Lann didn't mind. With all the ways his name was being twisted into sounding like some awful swear or such, he thought that boy was Snape's form of an endearment. If, you know, Snape could even process an emotion like endearment.

"What are we making today?" Lann asked, peering at the potion, "A calming draught?" he asked.

"Use your brain, you mindless idiot. A calming draught is a light blue, not a robin's egg blue." Snape snapped.

See, no capability for endearments there.

Harry looked at the potion again and then noticed how Snape was stirring it. "Vertiserum," he pronounced, "before you put the phoenix feather in."

Snape appraised Lann carefully. "Correct." he said gruffly "Now, here, take over stirring."

Harry spent a good four hours with Snape, both working in concert, Lann even settling down to do some homework before Snape finally kicked him out, sending him down to dinner. When he reached the hall, however, food hadn't been set out yet. The student were all yelling at each other and shouting across the tables.

"What's going on?" Lann asked no one in particular as he sat down in his patented seat next to Malfoy so that he could serve the slimy git whatever he wanted.

"You haven't heard?" Malfoy asked, smirking at him.

Lann shook his head and Malfoy continued, "Sirius Black's escaped."

Lann rubbed his cheekbone. Sometimes it was a bother not being a pureblood just because he was always behind on something. "Who?" he asked.

Draco chortled. "So Mr. Genius doesn't know who Black is?" he mocked.

"If you're not going to tell me-" Harry started.

"No, no. I will. This ought to be fun. Black's the one who gave away the Potters to Voldemort." Lann felt a dull flush of anger for his friend. "And now he's escaped and who do you think that he's coming for?" Malfoy cocked an eyebrow. "Your little famous, soon to be dead, friend." Lann looked across the hall at Harry. Dumbledore was standing over him, patting his back sympathetically. Lann watched as Harry's face went first white and then red. Finally, he pushed away Dumbledore's hand and stood up, walking away angrily.

Lann frowned and stood to go after him when Malfoy said, "And you know what else?" Then without waiting for an answer, he continued, "He's probably already out there, in the Forbidden Forest. They tried to keep it secret for a couple months, thought that they could catch him, but they just gave him time to get nearer and nearer to Hogwarts and Dumbledore's precious boy-who-lived. And the prat's probably so angry that he'll run right out there and get himself-"

"Sod off Malfoy." Lann said angrily, pushing away from the table. "And shut the hell up." Lann stalked away form the table back towards his dorms. He was in no mood to eat now. And then he suddenly stopped. He had thought that Harry would be heading back to his dorms. But…but…it would be like him to try and confront Black himself wouldn't it, especially if he was right outside in the Forbidden Forest. He was always trying to fight Lann's battles for him and- Lann turned and ran towards the entrance hall.

Sneaking outside hadn't actually been that big a deal, neither had reaching the fringes of the Forbidden Forrest. What took some nerve was actually entering the Forbidden Forest.

_Lann's teeth were chattering. _

"_Malfoy," he whispered, but did not plead, because he didn't plead- not to Malfoy. "This- don't do this."_

_He heard Malfoy laugh and realized that they were really going to do this- the psychos. They had tied him up, blindfolded him, frog-marched him outside and were actually going to throw him into the Forbidden Forest. He knew he should have gone subtler than the blue hair dye. _

"_Please," he whispered softly._

_This time Malfoy didn't even answer just whispered something to Crabbe who was holding him tightly and walked off. Then Crabbe walked him a little further inside. Lann could tell they were in the forest now; he kept tripping over the underbrush and finally with a sudden push, Crabbe left him too and then he was all alone._

Lann sucked in a breath and told himself what Hagrid had told him over and over again when he'd finally found him, freezing and close to tears: nothing will hurt you as long as you stay on the trails. Well, Lann thought, gripping his wand tightly, I'll just stay on the trails.

Lann started in, pushing past underbrush and softly calling Harry's name. Almost a half an hour later and Lann was starting to get discouraged. What if Harry hadn't gone after him? What if he was safe in his bed right now and Lann was just being an idiot? What if-

Lann stifled a scream as a large hand shot out of the darkness and shoved him against a tree. "Harry?" A voice asked hoarsely, "It's-"

Lann didn't bother listening to him. He brought his hand up quickly and then cried out then the man- it had to be Black –twisted his hand behind his back and forced him to drop his wand.

"Harry," Black whispered, leaning in, his breath humid and disgusting. "Please, Harry, please-"

Lann opened his mouth and screamed as loudly as possible until Black clamped his hand over his mouth and the two came to a stand-still, Black still staring at him with crazy eyes and whispering his name over and over again like a mantra.

Lann mumbled something against Black's mouth, his eyes wide and frightened. As he mumbled it again, Black took his hand off Lann's mouth to hear him. "I'm not Harry." Lann said timidly.

Black shook him suddenly, wild-eyed. "Don't say that. Don't say that!DON'T- I've known you since you were born. I held you in my arms when you were just a couple minutes old. I know you and you're Harry. My godson. My Harry." Lann looked at him in horror as the man's eyes started welling with tears.

"But," Lann said desperately, "I'm-"

"LANN!" Harry shouted, running forward brandishing his wand.

Shocked, Black loosened his grip on Lann slightly and with reflexes honed by years of living at an orphanage, Lann kicked Black hard in the shin and ducked underneath him, running towards Harry.

"I knew you'd be here." Harry muttered, grabbing Lann's hand as they started to run. "I was having a dream in the dorms and I just-" Harry cut himself off and glanced fearfully at Lann.

Lann ignored him, concentrating on running. He could hear Black's heavy footfalls behind him, but as they drew closer to the school, the pants behind them faded away. Finally they stopped, just inside the entrance hall. "How did you know that I'd be here?" he asked Harry, now completely interested.

"Lann I-" Harry hesitated. "It's nothing."

"No Harry! That's not fair. I tell you stuff. I tell-" Lann was aware that he was stamping his feet like a child and poking Harry in the chest even though the boy had probably just saved his life, but…but Sirius Black thought he was Harry; Harry was a freakin closed book; and Lann, in general, had a sucky life that hit rock bottom today. "I tell you stuff and you're just so secretive and…and aren't we friends, Harry?" Lann asked woefully, "because I refuse to be one of your people."

"My people?" Harry asked.

"Yes! Your people. The people that fawn over you and cater to your every need and, I don't know, would faint if only they could touch robes. I WON'T BE ONE OF THEM!"

"You're not." Harry said placating him, "you could never be one of them."

"Then why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Harry asked, sounding wounded.

"Okay, okay," Harry said nervously. "I…I have visions."

And Destiny giggled, spreading her web a bit farther.

**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued…


	6. Dumbledore

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**Dumbledore**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone, guess what I've learned, I can't stop myself from starting another story, even though I haven't finished even one of the ones I already have. _Sighs. _I couldn't help it, this idea just came to me, and I don't think I've ever even read a variation of this. Anyway, I've been wondering if anyone noticed the significance of the names: Lann and Harry; if you figure it out, tell me! I want to see if any of you get it. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

"**S**o, Lann," Dumbledore repeated, twirling his quill. "please tell me again why you were out in the forest at this time of night when it has been expressly forbidden?"

Lann shifted guiltily in his seat and Harry, sitting next to him in the Headmasters' office, patted him reassuringly on the forearm. "I was," Lann swallowed. "I was looking for Harry. I thought he might have gone after Black and I wanted to catch him before anything happened." Lann shrugged unhappily. "And all I did was get caught by Black myself. I'm sorry."

Dumbledore sighed. "Lann, I'm afraid sorry doesn't cut it. You put yourself and Harry in grave danger. Do you understand that you could have been killed or even enraged Black into entering the castle itself?" At Lann's nod, he continued, "Well, then good, but I'm afraid that I will have to give you detention for-"

"You can't!" Harry said, shooting out of his seat. "He was only trying to save me and it's not fair that Lann gets in trouble while I don't. I was out there too and-"

"I believe," Snape said, interrupting Harry and leaning forward, pressing on Lann's shoulder hard. "that Mr. Potter is trying to say that Lann here was displaying some of that outstanding moral fiber you like so much in trying to save his-" Snape's mouth twisted on his next word. "friend, however misguided the attempt. He also, quite inadvertently, pinpointed Black's location for us. We can call the Dementors now without putting the students in any unnecessary danger."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "That is true." he admitted. Then, thinking it over, he said, "The Dementors will not be here for at least a month. Right now, they're spread out all over the country and bringing them together will take some time. While they are away, Lann, I must ask you not to leave your dorm for any reason except classes and mealtime. I cannot chance you running into the Forbidden Forest again."

Lann leaned forward. "No! That's even worse than detentions. I promise that I won't leave the castle, but you've got to let me leave the dorms."

"Headmaster-" Harry started.

"I'm sorry Harry. That's my final decision." Dumbledore interrupted. "You may all leave. Professor Snape, I trust that you will take the boys to their respective dorms."

Snape's upper lip curled, but he stopped himself from talking and instead turned and stalked from the room, Harry dragging Lann after him. Once they descended from the elevator, Snape turned and began walking towards the Gryffindor dorms. Silently, Harry and Lann followed, Lann scuffing at the floor as he dragged his feet along. The longer he could detain his return to the Slytherin dorms, the better. Word was bound to have gotten around that he had ran into the Forest to save Harry.

The Slytherins were going to kill him.

Reaching the Gryffindor dorm, Snape turned and waited for Harry to leave. When Harry instead glared at him, Lann sighed and said, 'Professor Snape, could you give me and Harry a minute?"

Snape looked at Lann inscrutably and nodded once sharply before moving to the other end of the hall, out of earshot. As he walked away, Harry and Lann leaned against the wall, Harry thinking pensively and Lann biting his lower lip in worry.

"Um…" Harry rubbed his upper arm nervously. "You haven't mentioned my visions yet."

Lann looked at him distractedly. "Ohhh…" he rolled out. "Well," he shrugged, "We haven't really had time to talk about it. You told me and then Snape found us and then there was yelling and screaming and- well, you know."

"Yeah," Harry looked at Lann out of the corner of his eye. "I know." Then: "So, is it okay?"

Lann looked at him oddly. "Harry, I'm in some pretty deep shit right now. Black thinks that I'm you; the Slytherins are going to massacre me tonight; and Dumbledore is…is- an arse. And you-" Harry flinched. "You saved my life today because of one of your visions. Seriously, have them as often as you want." Lann stopped, grinning at him. "Please." he added dryly.

Harry stared at him and then laughed with relief. "That's the best anyone's ever taken it." Harry smiled at Lann. "When I told my parents- I mean, my aunt and uncle about my visions, they took me to a psychiatrist. Thought I needed help."

Lann wrinkled his nose. "Well, don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks." Harry got up off the wall and walked over the portrait. "And Lann," Harry added mysteriously, "You aren't going to get in trouble tonight with your dorm mates. They'll all be asleep."

Lann laughed and walked off. If only Harry was a better liar, then Lann would be more inclined to believe him.

* * *

It was two weeks later, while Lann was lying on his bed, nursing his bruised shoulder and reading a book at the same time when he finally got a chance to leave the dorms. It was hell being stuck in the dorms with the Slytherins. Part of it was because it was now open knowledge that Harry, the boy-who-lived and Lann, the orphan snake boy were best friends. That absolutely infuriated the Slytherins.

The other reason Harry couldn't leave the dorms was because of Dumbledore's punishment. Lann sometimes wondered if Dumbledore knew that sentencing him solitude in his dorm made him a huge target in the house. Now there wasn't anywhere he could hide.

"Lann." Lann looked up, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light as his bed curtains swung open. "Get up," Malfoy snapped, "We have flying lessons today."

"Flying-" Lann shook his head; he didn't want to think about what Malfoy could do to him when they were in the air. "I'm not allowed to leave the dorms. Remember, even Snape said that I shouldn't push this." Lann postulated. "Anyway," he added, "It's December. It's much too cold."

Malfoy snorted. "Well, Snape changed his mind." he said, dragging Lann up by his collar. "He told me to bring you since you've been spending too much time alone in your rooms. He thinks it's unhealthy." Malfoy face twisted into a sneer. "And I've been appointed your caretaker so don't go running off or anything. Now come on, you've already missed the first few lessons and this is the last one until the snow sets in."

Lann jerked away from Malfoy and straightened his collar. "Fine, lets go."

Lann pulled on a ratty coat and followed Malfoy outside to the far end of the lawn. They were far away from the Forbidden Forest, probably so that Black, who they figured was still hiding out there (though no one had been able to find him), wouldn't be able to sneak up on them.

Near the Lake, standing in two rows, were the Slytherins on one side and the Gryffindors on another. Even with Madame Hooch standing near them, the two sides were already bickering with each other, Harry's friend, Ron, stepping forward to push Nott before Hooch finally snapped at them both to settle down.

Lann shook his head as he and Draco scooted in at the end of the line. Harry and his friends were at the front of it. "I don't understand."

"What mudblood?" Draco whispered. "What don't you understand?"

"All the fighting." Lann paused and seeing Draco's confused looked, he added, "Between Houses. It just seems so…" Lann paused, tired. "stupid." he finished.

Draco looked at him and then, ignoring his statement, said, "Say "Up" Lann. And pay attention otherwise you'll fall off your broom."

Lann glared at him and turned his attention back to the teacher. It was stupid to think that Malfoy would understand. Stupid to think that Malfoy was being even the slightest bit nicer ever since Dumbledore had punished him. Lann decided to ignore him and instead listened intently as Hooch led them through the steps to mounting and handling his broom. Then finally, she allowed them to lift off a couple of feet into the air.

As Lann's feet left the ground, he started to fell more confident. This wasn't hard at all! Grinning, he flew up a couple more feet around where Malfoy was hovering and sent him a smug look receiving a smirk in return. Looking over to where Harry was fumbling with his broom, Lann winced. The poor boy had barely managed to get off the ground.

Malfoy noticed where Lann was looking and followed his eyes over to Harry. Grinning maliciously, he called over, "Hey Potter, I thought your father was a big-shot Quidditch player. To see that you aren't really any good at all, well that'd really-"

Malfoy was cut off as Lann screamed, a large black figure crashing his broom into his and sending them both crashing to the ground, their brooms and lower legs tangled. Lann tried to heave himself up, but the man behind him dragged him back down and before Lann could even try and defend himself, the man had deftly reached his hand into Lann's robe, pulled out his wand and shot a red looking spell at Madame Hooch who was in the process of drawing her own wand. She fell to the ground like a rock and several children screamed while others rushed towards Lann and the man, beginning to draw their own wands.

Before they could act, however, the man lifted Lann up, broom and all and pulled back his own broom, sitting on it and taking off over the grounds and towards the Forbidden Forest. Struggling in the man's grip until he almost dropped him, Lann stretched his neck around to see who had captured him.

It was Black. Of course.

Lann twisted in his grip frantically and yelled for him to stop, but his words were lost in the wind rushing past them. Finally, Black slowed down, letting the broom drift. Lann looked around; they were still in the air, but now Lann couldn't even see the castle, instead the forest was spread out before him, stretching miles and miles long in every direction.

Lann looked at Black who was staring at his face and clenched his legs around the broom still entangled between them. "I-" Lann started.

"Where is it?" Black gasped, grabbing Lann's face and tilting it towards the light. "Why-" Black brushed Lann's hair away from his forehead and brushed his hand over his scar. "Where is the scar? Where's the scar?" Black yelled, louder. "It was right here!" Black's hands scrabbled over Harry scar, raking and drawing blood. "I can't prove that you're Harry without- It was right here that night…why doesn't Dumbledore see- why can't he tell that you're-"

Lann grabbed his broom from between his legs and smashed it across Black's face with as much force as he could. Then he leapt off Black's broom, just managing to bring his own underneath him as he hit the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. Grasping the handle, Lann turned the broomstick towards Hogwarts and sped off through the top layer of trees. He had no interest in examining why Black thought he was Harry and he certainly wasn't going to wait until Black decided to explain himself- the raving lunatic that he was.

And the scar bit- pretending as if it wasn't there. Lann unconsciously smoothed his hair back over his scar. It was definitely there, but how Black knew about it, he wasn't sure. Suddenly Lann's broom dipped and began to slow down. Horrified, Lann looked behind him and saw that Black had caught up with him and thrown himself on the end of Lann's broom causing it to slow down.

"Harry, please-" Black started only to have Lann bat away his reaching hand.

"Get away from me!" Lann grunted, trying to urge his broom away from Black. "Just-"

"Lann!" Lann looked up and saw Malfoy streaking towards them. He sped by them, skidded to halt and then raced after them, catching up and flying along side them. "Jump." Malfoy yelled.

Lann looked at like he was crazy. "Come on! I'll catch you." Malfoy promised, the wind whipping by him.

Lann frowned, but when faced with the choice of Black or Malfoy, he'd take Malfoy any day. Closing his eyes, Lann jumped towards Malfoy's broom, wishing that it wasn't Malfoy who was offering to catch him. Not that the blonde haired boy had a choice anyway. Lann crashed right into him, almost upsetting both of them until Malfoy's arm snapped around Lann's waist and his other one grabbed onto the broom and started guiding it away from Black and towards Hogwarts.

Lann lifted his head from Malfoy's shirt and peered over the boy's shoulder. The sudden loss of weight on Lann's broom had caused Black to pitch forward into the Forest and now Lann couldn't see him at all. Still, Malfoy didn't slow down until they finally reached the fringes of the forest and could see several professors racing towards them.

Lann looked at Malfoy studiously as he lowered the broom. "Malfoy," Lann started, "Thanks."'

Malfoy, not looking at Lann, snorted. "I couldn't let Potter go after you like he wanted. He would have killed half the class trying to take off. A travesty, that's what his flying is. This was your first time on a broom and you, a mudblood, can fly better."

Lann bristled at the mudblood comment and then decided to let it go. After all, he didn't want to ruin the moment.

* * *

"I'm telling you Harry," Lann said, biting into an apple as they sat in the currently unused teacher's room, still decorated with leftover Christmas decorations. "Malfoy's really changed. He even got me a Christmas present though he did it a little pissed when I asked why he celebrated it when it was a muggle holiday."

Harry snorted. "And I'm telling you that gremlins don't change their spots."

Lann's nose wrinkled. "Harry, gremlins don't have spots. They-"

"It's just a saying, Lann." Harry interrupted, exasperated, "and don't you remember that just three weeks ago you were complaining about what a prick he is?"

Lann shrugged. "Well, yeah. But ever since the whole flying incident, he's been really different. A totally different person; he's even got the other people in the house to stop bothering me, at least, you know, when he's around."

Harry winced. "I almost forgot about the Black thing. Dumbledore still giving you a hard time over it?"

"Yeah," Lann said, sighing. "It's been three weeks and yet I still have detention. It wasn't even my fault this time." Lann said angrily, hitting a desk. "He just, well, Black thinks that I'm you. It's not like I asked for him to mistake us or anything. And Dumbledore just keeps blaming me for the whole thing like Black arriving is all my fault. And just yesterday-"

"Um," Harry injected, "Did I ever mention how sorry I am over the whole Black thing?" he asked.

Lann rolled his eyes. "Yes, you have, and it's not your fault. It's Black's. Even Snape's been looking at me weirdly lately like he's seeing something he hasn't before. Sometimes I think he likes me- he did get me out of house arrest, said something about it not being good for my health, but other times…" Lann hesitated, "He gets so pissed at me it's unbelievable. And, the odd thing is, it's like he's not even looking at me, just through me and-" Lann cut himself off and sighed.

Harry looked at his best friend sympathetically. "We should probably go to bed. The dementors will be making their rounds soon."

Lann sighed again. "Even on Christmas day?" he asked. Then: "They can't catch Black, but can make rounds throughout the entire school, scaring-" Lann stopped and bit his lip when he saw Harry's look. "Sorry," he said, "I just have this headache. I'm starting to think it might be because of the dementors."

Harry nodded. "I know you hate them, but they're probably the only thing keeping you-"

"Hate them?" Lann snipped, "Do you know anyone else who faints when they're around?"

Harry raised an eyebrow and Lann sighed, remembering that Harry too had passed out when he had first seen the dementors. "Well, at least, you've got a reason. Your parents died in front of you. I'm just weak."

Harry shrugged. "Your parents died in front of you too; we pass out for the same reason." Here Lann injected, "Another weird way we're similar." And subsided only when Harry glared at him and continued, "I just wish you could remember what you saw. My memories are too indistinct to remember much, but…" Harry trailed off and Lann looked guiltily at the ground. The truth was that he did remember what he saw and heard but the memories were so ludicrous that Lann always wrote them off as figments of his imagination probably started by Black. After all, who wouldn't want parents that loved you so much that they'd died defending you?

"Well, anyway," Harry said, noticing his friend's sudden downwards turn. "I should probably get going. Now that Christmas break is almost over, I have to start studying. Hermione's making me." Harry said sheepishly.

Lann laughed and then started. "Oh, don't leave. I want to show you something first. Snape gave it to me last week. Confiscated it from the Weasley's and told me that he'd give me fifty points if I could figure out what it did. Seems like it said some pretty nasty things to him while he was trying to get it to unveil its secrets."

Harry leaned in closer as Lann pulled out a piece of parchment. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a map." Lann said excitedly. "And you can't tell anyone about it. I only figured it out last night-"

"And you haven't told Malfoy yet?" Harry snipped.

"No," Lann answered, "I haven't told _anyone. _Now watch," Lann tapped his wand on the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." Under both their eyes, ink bled onto the parchment forming line and small dots.

Harry looked at the paper carefully. "It's the school." he said looking astonished.

"Yep," Lann said gleefully, "and look, the dots- those are people. You can see all of Hogwarts from this map including where everyone is. Look, Ron's sleeping in his bed; Snape's pacing in his Potion's classroom-"

"Dumbledore's right outside our room." Harry said suddenly pointing to the map.

Both boys looked at each other and then crept towards the door, Harry silently opening the door. Peeking through the crack, they saw Dumbledore standing at the far end of the corridor, standing over a still form.

"McGonagall!" Lann hissed, before Harry clamped a hand over his mouth, causing his pounding head to hurt even more.

They watched as Dumbledore kicked McGonagall's still form. Harry made a small noise in the back of his throat and Dumbledore looked in their direction. Harry and Lann quickly backed away from the door, leaving it cracked open. Suddenly Harry grabbed Lann's hand and dragged him over to an empty wardrobe on the side of the room.

"Don't worry," Harry said calmly, stifling Lann's protests. "He won't search in here."

Lann narrowed his eyes. Ever since he had found out that Harry had visions, he had been doing research on psychics in the library. He learned that that even the best had a forty percent failure rate. Squishing next to Harry in the closet as Dumbledore started walking closer, Lann hoped that this vision fell into the other sixty percent.

Above them, Destiny cocked her head and hummed in dismay.

**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued…


	7. Oculomancy

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**Oculomancy**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone, guess what I've learned, I can't stop myself from starting another story, even though I haven't finished even one of the ones I already have. _Sighs. _I couldn't help it, this idea just came to me, and I don't think I've ever even read a variation of this. Anyway, I've been wondering if anyone noticed the significance of the names: Lann and Harry; if you figure it out, tell me! I want to see if any of you get it. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

"**H**eadmaster, you cannot be serious!" Snape hissed, pacing in the small office. "All the signs are there. You said yourself when Hagrid visited the boy during the summer that it couldn't be him. That boy living with the Dursley's wasn't Harry Potter. You said so!"

Dumbledore swirled his tea. "Well, I must have made a mistake."

Snape eyed Dumbledore carefully. "You don't make mistakes and the boy can't be Potter. He doesn't have the scar."

"The scar must have disappeared." Dumbledore argued.

"Curse scars don't just disappear. You said-" Snape paused and drew a shaky breath. "You were positive that the boy wasn't Harry. Our plan was to wait and see if the real Potter came to Hogwarts anyway. He has. You know he has. Why are you stalling?"

"And I suppose that you think that Lann is the real Harry?" Dumbledore guessed.

"Of course he is!" Snape snapped irately. "The boy is the splitting image of James Potter."

"So is Harry."

"That boy is not Harry Potter. Even Black, a deranged murderer can tell. Lann actually acts like James and Lily. He's good at Potions; flys better than anyone in this school; hell, he even plays the most horrid pranks on-"

"You are forgetting the most important thing," Dumbledore interrupted in a steely voice, "Lann, also, does not have a scar."

"But I'm sure that I've seen him rubbing his forehead and the other one's mentioned something about a scar several times, I know it. His bangs are so long that no one can be sure anyway. They'd actually have to lift up his hair and look under it."

Dumbledore frowned. "The fact still stands that there is no evidence proving that Lann is Harry."

"No." Snape spat out. "There is sufficient evidence. You just can't bear having the great Harry Potter sorted into Slytherin. You'd rather place your hopes in the hands of an incompetent and hurt the one boy who saved all our lives eleven years. Why are you so insistent on punishing him? He's done nothing wrong- much less, by the way, than your supposed Potter. I catch the boy sneaking around at all times of the night and you let him off with barely a snap on the wrist while Lann is kidnapped and he gets a months worth of detentions. I'm not-"

"Severus," Dumbledore said, looking at him oddly. "Are you actually attached to the boy?"

Snape sputtered in rage and then picking up his cloak, he turned and stalked from the room. "This isn't over, Albus." he snarled, slamming the door behind him.

Striding down the hall, cursing to himself, Snape stopped at the teacher's room to get some tea. It was too early yet for breakfast, but Snape was going to need some energy if he wanted to deal with Dumbledore in the Great Hall later and it was his turn to update the Dementors on the tracking spells being modified to find Black. Again.

Snape threw open the door and stomped over to a magically warmed teapot. Then, turning, he frowned looking at the wardrobe in corner. It was tilted a bit to the right. Walking over to it, Snape pulled out his wand; it was probably just another magic cloak or something or the other, but it wouldn't do to be caught off guard by something.

Snape yanked open the door and two boys came tumbling out, yelping as they were rudely awakened.

Snape looked at them furiously. "Potter! Lann!" he barked, "What the hell do you think you're doing! You both have proper beds in your respective dorms. Is there any reason that you're not sleeping in them?"

Both Lann and Harry looked at each other fearfully. Exasperated, Snape dragged them both up by their collars and starting hauling them towards the door. "Detention both of you and fifty points from your houses. We're going to see the headmaster right now. And he will not by letting either of you off the hook this time. I will-"

"NO!" Lann suddenly shouted, yanking away from Snape so hard that he tore his collar. "We can't see Dumbledore."

"And why not?" Snape hissed, ignoring Harry's minute shaking of his head. "Are you too-" Snape paused and actually looked at both Lann and Harry's faces. They looked absolutely terrified and while he could understand that coming form Harry, maybe, Lann had seen angrier and had not looked this affected. Snape sighed. He was fairly sure that today would be one of those days he hated being a teacher. "What happened?" he asked.

Both Harry and Lann looked at each other. Then Harry started up: "We…saw something. And we're not sure if we really saw what we saw or if it was something made up or-" Harry laughed, high and scared. "Because, um, really- it's…it's just crazy and-"

"What did you see?" Snape managed to grit out from between his teeth.

"We saw Dumbledore kill McGonagall." Lann piped up, his face white.

Snape stared at the two children and barked out a short, harsh laugh before realizing that neither child was grinning slyly. They really thought that they had seen Dumbledore kill another professor and his deputy headmistress at that.

"Lann," Snape started, "Are you sure-"

"YES!" Both boys hissed out together. Then Harry continued, "Sir, you've got to believe us. We wouldn't lie about…something like this. We were talking in here last night and- and- Lann had just gotten the piece of paper you'd given him to work. It turns out that it was a map of, you know, Hogwarts and it shows where the people are – oh, lets just show him, Lann. It too late for secrecy now – and we saw Dumbledore right outside so we peeked through the door crack and saw him…saw him-" Harry swallowed convulsively and then continued in a whisper. "Saw him kill her. McGonagall."

Snape thought over what they were saying, studying there open, fearful faces. Then, closing his eyes against the pounding in his head, Snape stopped thinking about all the implications that this could have if this were true – bloody hell, could it? – the least of which would be losing a trusted colleague.

Shaking his head once more, Snape turned more the room and beckoned Harry and Lann to follow. They did, looking left and right fearfully, almost stepping on his toes. When one of them moved as if to speak, Snape hissed, "No. No talking. No whispering. No nothing. Once we get inside my rooms, you two will sit down on the couch and not move, not touch anything- barely even breath until I return. Do you understand?"

Harry and Lann nodded timidly. Reaching his rooms, Snape gestured them in, made sure that they sat down, and then shut the door behind, changing the password and setting a detection spell so that if anyone even breathed on the portrait that hid his room he'd know about it. Then Snape calmly walked down to the hall. It was the beginning of breakfast time now. The first few early birds had probably already arrived. However, when Snape reached the Great Hall, his heart sank.

McGonagall, the perennial early bird was no where to be seen.

* * *

"She's sick." Snape announced, coming back from breakfast a little while later. "In St. Mungo's."

Lann frowned as he noticed that Snape was bearing gifts- well, food to be exact. His stomach crumpled in on itself at the thought of it, but Harry helped himself to couple of jelly donuts and chewing through them, asked, "Who told you that? Dumbledore?"

"Yes." Snape answered. "Here, Lann, have one."

Lann shook his head mutely while Harry frowned and then spoke, spraying crumbs everywhere. "Then of course he said that. Look, professor, we know what we saw and Dumbledore-"

"I believe you." Snape asserted, smirking lightly at their almost comically surprised faces. "Lann, you need to eat at least one. Take it."

Unwillingly, Lann reached out and took the jelly donut, taking a small bite. Then as his throat closed up, Lann threw the donut to the floor and turning to Snape, yelled, "What are you doing! Stop telling me to eat something! I don't need to eat. I need you to do something! Dumbledore- Dumbledore…" Lann trailing off under Snape's furious look.

"I am going to do something." Snape said, his calm tone belaying his glare. "However, we need concrete evidence if we're going to accuse one of the greatest wizards of all time of killing another witch. I can't do that alone. I'm going to need your help and if you want to help-" Snape paused and received two quick nods "-then you, Lann, are going to have to eat that donut and keep it down. It's the only way I'll let you out of my sight otherwise. Dumbledore'll suspect something if your throat stops every time you see him."

Lann glared at him but at Harry's prodding, took another bite of his donut, successfully keeping it down. Snape nodded at him approvingly and then said, "I need to get into his office to check his pensieve. I think that any evidence will be in there if he already hasn't destroyed the memory."

"How will you get in there?" Harry asked.

"During your Defense class." Snape answered. "It's the only class he teaches so I know he'll be safe, but I'll need you two to tell me if he unexpectedly leaves and when the class ends."

"I can rig up some sort of communication device," Lann said suddenly, his eyes darkened as he thought. "I've read about dark marks, you know," he continued, not noticing Snape startled grasp at his right arm though Harry did look at him oddly. "I think I can fix something sort of like that. Only," Lann finished dryly "Nothing will be carved into our flesh."

Snape looked at him appraisingly. Then: "Alright then. You're next defense is next Tuesday. Do not go near him until you have to. And, remember, we do not have to at immediately. We can take our time and prepare according. This is the most powerful wizard alive that we're going against and any mistake could get us…hurt. Until then, I expect you both to act completely normal. Harry, you think up ways to distract Dumbledore. He trusts you so fooling him will not be a problem. Lann, work on those communicators. I will do everything else."

Both Harry and Lann smiled shakily at him and Snape walked over to the door to let them out. "Go outside," he ordered, "And pretend that none of this ever happ-" Suddenly Snape paused, stricken. "I- I will have to teach you Oculomancy. That's the only way to pull this off." Snape mumbled to himself and then looked over the two boys. "This is insane," he sighed. Then: "Come to my office after classes. I will have to teach you both a trick to protect your mind." Harry and Lann looked at each other. "It will be hard, especially since we don't have a lot of time. Until then, do not look Dumbledore in the eye."

Snape shooed both Lann and Harry out the door and then closing the door behind him, he slid to the ground.

Now he was sure; he absolutely detested teaching.

* * *

It had taken Harry three weeks to get a hang of Oculomancy. It had taken Lann three months to stop complaining about not being any good at it and suffer in silence.

"I just can't do this!" Lann snapped, pulling himself off the floor for the tenth time that day. Well, Harry mused, maybe the complaining wasn't quite done with yet.

Snape growled at him. "Concentrate."

Lann glared icily at him. "What do you think I've been doing this entire time? I've read all the books; practiced clearing my mind all the time; and yet, Harry here, who doesn't even do his homework, gets it within a couple of hours." Lann snapped, exasperated.

"Harry has visions. He's naturally gifted at controlling his mind." Snape snapped back. "It's dunderheads like you who need to work at it."

Harry leaned back in his seat watching the two interact. Ever since Snape had begun teaching them Oculomancy – the art of protecting ones mind against foreign invasion – he and Lann had begun to argue more and more. It was like Snape had decided something the minute he saw how bad Lann was at Oculomancy and how good Harry was. Ever since then, Snape's animosity towards Harry had almost completely disappeared. In fact, if Harry cared at all about how Snape felt about him, he might be offended that he was basically being ignored. However, now that they were on their third month of learning Oculomancy, the snipping was getting old.

"This is stupid." Lann protested, running shaky hand through his hair. "You said that there are people who just can't learn Oculomancy. I'm obviously one of them. We should just proceed with the plan. The communicators are done and Harry can stay in class the day you break into Dumbledore's office. I'll- I'll just skip class."

"That'll look suspicious." Harry protested. "Besides, I need you to be there in case I mess up."

"But-"

"Lann," Snape interrupted smoothly. "It is true that some people can't learn Oculomancy, but only the completely weak-willed would fail as bad as you."

Lann squawked. "Hey, I'm-"

"I suggest that you come back when you grow a backbone." Snape finished.

Glaring at him, Lann scoped up his wand and bag and stomped out of Snape's private rooms. Frowning, Harry waited until he left, slamming the door behind him, before turning towards Snape. "You're too hard on him." Harry stated.

Snape looked up from idly stacking some graded papers. "I am only as hard as is needed."

"You don't need to be that hard. You're tougher on him than on me. You…expect more from him than me, don't you?" Harry asked, realization dawning.

Snape sighed. "He can do Oculomancy," he said avoiding the question. "He just has to many thing on his mind to concentrate properly- Dumbledore, Black, the dementors. Oculomancy requires singular devotion, something which Lann seems to lack."

"Lann doesn't need to be able to know Oculomancy." Harry pressed. "What's the big deal?"

Snape looked at Harry appraisingly. "Lann's…he's destined for greater things than either you or I can imagine, Mr. Potter." At Harry's uncomfortable shift, he added, "Does that bother you?"

Harry stared at him impassively. "No. I just…" The words _worry about him_ were left unsaid. Instead Harry walked over to the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll talk to him about it." Then hesitating: "You're right. He needs to know things, but I'll be there too. Anything he doesn't know, I will."

Harry walked down the hall cautiously. He was pretty good at occluding his mind, but he didn't want Dumbledore to know that. Nowadays, he kept as far away from the man as possible. Suddenly Harry stopped, clutching the wall for support.

"_Harry," Lann breathed, looking at his friend. "I-"_

_Harry shook his head numbly. "I don't think- I can't…" Harry trailed off and grabbed Lann for-_

"Harry?" Suddenly, Harry was jolted out of his vision by Lann who had grabbed his hand in worry. "What happened, Harry?" Lann asked worriedly. Then leaning closer, he asked, "Was it a vision?"

Harry shook his head, clearing it. "Yeah. I don't know of what yet though. We…" Harry paused. "We were upset about something."

"Oh," Lann started, "did you-"

"Lann," Both boys turned to see Malfoy standing at the corner, holding a broomstick, "would you like to go flying with me?"

Harry frowned. "No he does not." he stated, overriding Lann's subtle tug. "He has to study."

"Actually, Harry," Lann interrupted, "I think I'd like to go flying."

"But Lann," Harry started before frowning again and dragging Lann a bit off so that they could whisper. "Lann, you aren't really going to go off with him? Not after what we found out about Dumbledore. For Merlin's sake, look at him."

Lann threw a look over his shoulder at Malfoy. He did look bad. His fingers were trembling, his face pale and his clothes rumpled. "Oh stop. He's been sick. He even had to go home for a week. Can't you try to be nice to him?"

"Not when he's never nice to you." Harry hissed.

"Look Harry," Lann sighed. "I want to go. Malfoy's been…off lately. And he's my friend. So, I'll see you later, alright?"

Harry glared at Malfoy over Lann's shoulder and slowly let go of Lann's arm. "Fine," Harry groused, "but we'll meet up later tonight to go over what we learned today right?"

"Yeah," Lann said distractedly, already walking towards Malfoy, "Sure, see you later."

* * *

Lann grabbed his broom from Malfoy, a beat up, old school one, and followed the flaxen haired boy outside into the slightly chilly March air. Hopping on his broom, Lann rose into the air quickly, Draco following a few paces behind.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Lann called to him, his head twisting in the air.

Malfoy's eyes widened. "How…ho-" he begun to stutter, before blurting out, "I didn't want to talk!"

Lann grinned at him. "Then why did we come out here? It's too cold to fly."

Draco sighed. "We can't talk here." Lann looked around. They were still fairly close to the ground. "Come on."

Lann followed Draco as he pointed his broom upwards until the two boys were lazily circling the tip of the north tower, the ground dizzyingly far below them.

"I want to tell you something." Draco started, before taking a deep breath and looking straight into Lann's eyes. "But I don't want you to hate me."

Lann shrugged. "I'll try not to." he said.

Malfoy frowned, obviously hoping for something a little more concrete, but continued to talk. "My father always told me that Mudblood's were beneath people like me, people with pure wizarding blood in their veins. But…he can't explain someone like you. You're not what you're supposed to be." Malfoy hesitated. "And so I've been thinking about you and how you're not right for a long time now and I kinda think that maybe it's everything else I know that's not right.

"So, um, I figure that I ought to tell you something." Malfoy paused, and then added hurriedly, "Because you're my friend and everything. So…I didn't go home last week because I was sick."

Lann looked at Draco oddly. "Oh." he said, "So why did you?"

"To meet Dumbledore." Draco said, now focusing intensely on the tower, completely missing Lann's start. "And, um, he wasn't Dumbledore."

'What do you mean?" Lann breathed, barely able to allow himself hope.

"Dumbledore's been possessed by…You Know Who." Draco whispered.

Lann smiled suddenly and whooped, flying forward to crush Malfoy in a hug. "What the hell is wrong with you!" Malfoy yelled, fighting to pull Lann off him. "I just said that the Dark Lord is back. The first to die will be people like you Lann! You've got to-"

"No, no!" Lann shouted, "You don't understand. All this time we thought- We were sure that the Headmaster had gone mental! Oh come on, we've got to tell Snape!"

Still grinning wildly, Lann raced back down to the courtyard at a breakneck speed, Draco following close behind. "Lann, Lann, wait," Draco called as Lann hopped off his broom and began to run inside all in one deft move, "You don't understand-" Draco caught up with Lann just as he palmed open Snape's portrait's door. "Snape's one of the Dark Lord's followers!"

Inside, both Snape and Harry, who had rejoined him, lifted their heads in surprise at the shout. Standing, Snape sharply beckoned both boys into his rooms, taking in Lann's barely contained excitement and Malfoy's nervous trembling. "I'd appreciate it, Mr. Malfoy, if you tried not to yell that all through school." Snape snapped acidly.

Draco blushed. "Lann," he whispered, "you can't-"

"It's not Dumbledore." Lann interrupted, "Voldemort's possessed him. It's not him." Lann grinned at Harry and Snape's stupefied faces.

It was Harry who reacted first. He jumped up and hugged Lann tightly. "I knew it. I knew he couldn't be evil!"

"Lann," Snape said sharply, interrupting the boy's celebration. "How do you know that?"

Lann grew quiet. "Um…Draco told me." he said softly.

"And how did you find this out?" Snape asked, towering over Draco's shrinking form.

"I…I found out from my father when I went home. I got to meet him. I told Lann because I was worried that-" Malfoy cut himself off and bit his lip.

Snape stared impassively at the young boy and Lann realized that he was performing Oculomancy on him. Just as he was about to kick Snape and tell him to stop peeking into his friend's minds, Snape gave a rare smile. Well, it was more a twist of lips than anything else but…

"This is good news. Dumbledore hasn't turned. We don't have to act with as much caution now. It is more important that we expose the Dark Lord as soon as possible. Your next defense class is tomorrow, correct?" At the boys' nod, Snape continued, "We'll act then. I'll break into the Headmaster's office while he's teaching you and see if I can find any evidence otherwise we'll just look like raving fools. Possession always leaves behind some sort of imprint."

"Alright," Lann said, "What should Harry, Draco, and-"

"Are you crazy?" Draco asked them, his voice high, "I'm not getting involved in any of this. You all are trying to go against the dark lord!"

"But Draco," Lann started gently.

"You've already gone against Voldemort," Harry interjected harshly. "You told Lann about him. What did you think would happen when you did?"

"I thought I could convince him to run." Malfoy half-yelled, "Not go off and get himself blown-up!"

"I wouldn't have run." Lann stated firmly. "Not even if we hadn't already planned this. Sorry Draco but I can't leave. I'm not the only muggle-blood in this school. We're all in danger. I have to help out any way I can."

Draco narrowed his eyes at him. "Fine." he hissed, "Fine, but leave me out of it." Malfoy turned and stalked towards the door, walking out and slamming it shut behind him.

"Well good riddance." Harry muttered, before eyeing Lann and asking, "Do you think he'll tell?"

Snape shook his head. "No. He was truly trying to help you, Lann. In his own, rather messed up way."

"Yeah," Lann said. "I know."

Harry shook his head. "Forget about him. Don't we have a break in to plan?"

**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued…


	8. Predictions

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**Predictions**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **So here we are on the eighth chapter of Switched. We're reaching the home stretch here and a lot of things will start to be explained. Some people have mentioned the scar issue which should start to make more sense to you soon. And by the way, last chapter I spelled Occulomancy wrong and I'd like to thank you all for your…uh, overwhelming response to my mistake. Really, it was a little annoying after the twentieth review saying so, but it is nice that you all pay such close attention to my writing, anyway, always feel free to help out with any other slips that I make. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

**L**ann fidgeted as he walked into his defense class. As he entered, Harry jumped up from table he was leaning on as he chatted nervously with Ron and Hermione and made his way over to Lann.

"He's not here yet." Harry mumbled, eyes darting left and right. "Where is he?"

Lann shrugged, walking over to his customary desk and setting his bag on it. "Dunno. He's always late Harry. Relax. You'll give us away if you keep twitching like that."

Harry visibly forced himself to calm down and sat down in his seat next to Lann and began to take out his belongings and place them on his desk as if it were any ordinary day.

"Draco's not here either." Harry looked up at Lann's words, his eyes traveling around the room. He couldn't see Malfoy's rat face anywhere.

"Damn it!" Harry swore lightly. "That arse gave us-"

Harry cut off his words as Snape swept into the room, eyeing the class appraisingly. "Dumbledore has been called to the Ministry for the day. So today, I will be your teacher." Snape's eyes darted to Harry and Lann for a second and then looked away. "Open your books to page-"

Suddenly Lann raised his hand. "Professor," he called without waiting for Snape, "I don't particularly feel very well. May I go to the infirmary?"

Snape nodded at Lann sharply and then added, "Well, Potter, up! Are you going to let your desk mate walk to Pomfrey's by himself? Some friend you've turned out to be, letting him go without an escort."

The class – mostly Slytherins – tittered behind him and though Harry knew that it was all for show, he couldn't stop the dull flush that swept across his face and as he walked Lann to the door, he threw Snape a vehement look of his own. All for show, of course.

As soon as the boys left the classroom and turned the corner, they broke into a run. They didn't know how much time they'd have until Dumbledore came back and they didn't have any plan for finding the evidence that would prove that Voldemort was possessing Dumbledore. They would have to work fast.

Suddenly Harry skidded to a stop. "Malfoy?" he called to the boy loitering at the end of the hall near the Headmaster's office. "What are you doing here?"

Malfoy looked at Harry and Lann worriedly. "What are you two doing here? I thought Snape was going to be breaking in."

"Dumbledore got called to the Ministry. He's teaching our class." Lann answered. "Why are-"

"I know he got called to the Ministry." Malfoy interrupted impatiently, "I sent him the letter." Noticing both boys gaping at him, Malfoy shrugged uncomfortably. "It was easy. My father has some Ministry letterhead. With a couple of spells…" Malfoy trailed off and then in a rush, "Your bloody plan was so stupid. You-Know-Who has all of Dumbledore abilities and most of his own. Do you have any idea how powerful he has to be to be able to control someone like Dumbledore? Do you really? Once he gained control of Dumbledore, he's had to keep him under so many subduing potion – you wouldn't believe it. Do you idiots think that he wouldn't realize that someone was rooting around in his office? At least this way even if he does notice, he'll be across the country."

Lann smiled at him suddenly and stepping forward, hugged Malfoy tightly. "Thanks Draco. That's really brave of you."

Malfoy snorted and pushed him off. "Not brave, stupid." he muttered, "Now go on in. I'll give you about an hour or so. No longer. The password's Chocolate Frog."

Lann nodded and moving towards the gargoyle, said the password and disappeared up the stairs. As Harry moved to follow, Malfoy caught his arm and pulled him back. "Harry," he said softly, pulling him to the side. "Just wait a second. I, um, watch out for Lann, will you? He's liable to get into trouble and he doesn't know how to watch out for himself. Too busy taking care of everyone else, eh?" Malfoy laughed oddly. "It's just that…he's my first friend and it doesn't seem to matter to him who I am or what my father is and…he's different than you and me, I think. You can tell once you get to know him. I know you can feel it. He's…"

"Not quite normal." Harry finished, adding quickly, "But in a good way."

"The best way." Malfoy said firmly. With that he slapped Harry on the back. "I'm holding you to that. Keep him alive. Run if you have to, I'll even help, but keep him alive."

Harry nodded solemnly and followed Lann up the escalating staircase, looking over his shoulder to see the statue close over Malfoy's pinched face. When he reached the top, Lann was there, waiting for him hopping impatiently on one foot.

"What took so long?" Lann asked, falling in step next to him as Harry started through the outer room to Dumbledore's office.

"Nothing," Harry said smiling at Lann. "Malfoy just wanted to tell me once more that he thought that we were crazy for doing this."

Lann laughed as he pushed open the office door. "He's funny like that. He'll complain like hell about doing something up until he's actually doing it."

Harry snorted in agreement and then looked around the room and swore. "Where the hell do we start?" he complained. "There's so much stuff."

Lann hummed in agreement. Then he wandered over to one side of the room. "I'll start on this end and you start on the other." he said, already skimming through a bookcase.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You just want that side so you can look through the bo- Hey, Lann, look!"

Harry's excited tone called Lann over to him. "Is that a pensieve?" Harry asked, pointing at a stone basin sitting innocuously inside a wooden cabinet.

Lann peered at it, scrunching up his nose. "Yeah," he said finally, "I think so."

Harry grinned victoriously. "Well, what better place to hide incriminating evidence than inside a pensieve, right?"

"Right," Lann said. Then he took out his wand and cautiously poked at it. "Maybe we can find-" Lann's words were cut off as both boys were pulled into the basin with a yell.

Lann and Harry landed on the stone ground with a hard thud.

"Gerroff." Harry mumbled, shoving Lann off him.

Rolling off, Lann shook his shaggy hair out of his face and looked around. "Where are we?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "A memory, I think."

Lann's eyes darted to the left and right. "I didn't want to get stuck inside his memories though. How do we get out?"

Harry bit his lip. "I'm not- hey look, there's Dumbledore."

Lann looked where Harry was pointing. A younger Dumbledore was sitting in a booth next to a bespectacled woman with frizzy hair and several necklaces. They were talking pleasantly. Intrigued, Harry moved forward, Lann following more cautiously. As they drew closer, they could hear what the two were talking about.

"Professor Dumbledore, honestly, I don't remember anything about a prophecy. A child born as the seventh month falls? I can't recall it." Dumbledore frowned at her and seeing it, the woman hastily added, "but my predictions are very accurate. I am almost never wrong. If I mentioned something about a boy then I'm sure that it will come true. Now what about my position at Hogwarts?"

"You said that this boy will have powers the dark lord knows not and is the only one who can defeat the dark lord." Dumbledore said, "There have been ninety eight magical births this past year – low, I know, but Voldemort has many people frightened – but only two have been born in July. The first is Neville Longbottom. His parents are aurors. Due to their jobs, they have refused to go into hiding. Instead they have placed the boy under a fedelius charm with his grandmother. The other, Harry Potter-"

Dumbledore was cut off as the younger woman's body suddenly seized and her back snapped straight. Then she began to speak in a low, rough voice:

"_As the eleventh year starts, the wise will fall and death will rise._

_The dark lord's army will amass and the horn-colored warrior will fail_

_The lone hope will be found in the young general, spry and pure in youth and soul_

_He, born of the flower and the supplanter, raised in ignominy, and loved deeply by few_

_Will raise the guard and bear the cross against the greatest evil of our time_

_Yet, beware, for there are many dangers ahead._

_The sword's steel must be ever sharp_

_The serpent's poisoned apple ever ready_

_The scorching star every wary_

_The snubbed one ever learned._

_The advisor ever guarded._

_The earth will carry the light and the women will bring the chief _

_His reign will end, but in tears or celebration, only the He knows."_

Harry stepped backwards, breath quickening. He felt like he had been hit in the stomach with something large and heavy. He couldn't breath. Behind him, he felt Lann dragging him away from the scene in which Dumbledore had jumped up and was trying to get the woman to regain her senses. Harry felt the world whirl around him and staggered sideways as Dumbledore's office reappeared around them. Lann caught him and set him straight, looking at him worriedly

Harry closed his eyes at the sight of Lann's concerned green eyes meeting his. He- he couldn't stand this. Not this. He wasn't meant for this – not him. This couldn't be him. He was just a boy and– and did this mean that he had to _kill_ someone? Distantly, he could hear Lann frantically telling him to calm down, but this wasn't a time for calm. No, no this was the perfect time for panicking.

Harry swung around wildly, clocking Lann in the nose and ran out the door.

* * *

Draco Malfoy didn't do fear. Malfoy in general didn't do emotions. This didn't explain the oozy creepy feeling he got in the pit of his stomach whenever he thought about where Lann was right now.

Rooting around in a possessed-by-the-dark-lord Headmaster's office? Utter idiocy, Draco decided.

But still. Draco jumped up and began pacing in his dormitory. He hadn't gone back to class after meeting up with Harry and Lann. His nervousness would have been a dead giveaway. Sighing, Draco forced himself to collapse back onto a bed – Lann's bed to be exact. Rolling over, he sniffed the coverlet. The house elves' cleaning couldn't completely erase Lann's scent from it and for the millionth time, Draco wondered why he was doing this.

Did he really like Lann that much? There was nothing special about him. Sure he was smart and funny and interesting, _but _he was also scrawny and poor and orphaned and worst of all, a mudblood.

All of those things however – things that should have sent Draco and his perfectly coifed hair running in the opposite direction – did not explain why, upon meeting him, instead of thinking about how glorious the dark lord was, Draco could only just stifle his horror at thinking about what the dark lord would do to mudbloods like Lann.

Draco had arrived home on a Sunday afternoon. He had been told that he was sick and needed to be home. He had no idea what to expect. Seeing Dumbledore in all his grandeur sitting in his parlor had been a surprise. Seeing the man's eyes change from benevolent blue to blood red had almost made Draco piss in his pants.

Thank Merlin that his father had taught him to occlude his mind at a young age or Draco was sure that his horror wouldn't have escaped Voldemort's notice. Merlin knows what would have happened then.

It didn't help that Draco was forced to spend the entire week playing apprentice to the psychotic madman. The dark lord had taught him so many things and he was expected to use the curses – some of which made his stomach twist to think about, much less use - on Lann of all people, the very person who he couldn't get out of his head the entire bloody week.

Suddenly, Draco stood up and viciously ripped apart Lann's bed, tearing apart the bed sheets and pillows with his bare hands. Then he stalked over to Lann's scruffy trunk and gave it a good solid kick to the side sending up dust.

Stupid Lann.

Always trying to be the bloody hero. Always being nice – helping students with their homework; not letting anyone prank the young ones (Never mind he was one of the young ones); defending the bullied. _Always_ running off with stupid Harry fucking Potter when all Draco was trying to do was save his worthless little life. And endangering his own life while doing so. Didn't Lann care a wit about _him_? No. Of course not. Not when he had Harry Potter to hang around with. Draco couldn't understand why he even put up with Lann and his utter nonsense. If they were really friends then Lann would listen to him all the time and _not_ go off with Potter whenever his highness beckoned. Instead he'd stay with Draco where at least it was safe.

Damn it. That was it. Draco was going to the Dark Lord as soon as he came back and would tell him everything. He'd make sure the two of them were bloody gutted. But not too bad. Maybe he'd play up Potter's part in the whole thing; maybe he'd even say Potter forced Lann to go along with it. Lann would be so grateful that Draco had saved him that he'd want to-

Just then, Lann burst into room, breathing ragged and hair messy. He staggered over to Draco, tripping over his large shoes to land in Draco's arms. He rested there for a moment, regaining his breath.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked frantically, his voice high and tight with fear. He couldn't help Lann if he had already been caught – and Merlin, he hated feeling this way. "Did the Dark Lord-"

"Draco, I need your help." Lann said, his wild eyes meeting Draco's. Without waiting for an answer, he wrenched away from Draco and started digging in his trunk.

"What- what are you looking for?" Draco asked, bemused.

"A map. The one I showed you earlier. With the moving people." Draco remembered it; Lann had refused to let him use it to look into the girl's showers after hours. "I need to find it."

"Why?" Draco questioned, already kneeling beside Lann to look.

"Something happened. With Harry." Draco's body went cold and rigid. His hand stopped shifting through parchment as he stared at Lann's face. He was white-faced, thin lines around the hard set of his mouth and his eyes looked suspiciously wet. He had never looked that way at Draco; Draco didn't think he ever would. "We heard something and Harry lost it. He hit me-" Draco jerked in anger. "and ran off. I have to find him before he does something- Here it is!" Lann emerged from the mess of his trunk with a familiar piece of parchment in his hands.

Studying the map carefully, Lann sighed in relief as he spotted Harry. "He's heading towards Hagrid's place. If I go now, I might be able to catch him." Harry gave Draco the map.

Then, jumping up, Harry raced over to his desk and scooped up a smooth grey stone. Draco recognized it as one of many they had picked up from a riverbed a little ways into the forbidden forest. Harry had said that it reminded him of Draco's eyes. It had been on of their many midnight excursions.

"Draco, here," Lann said, pressing the stone into Draco's curled hand. "I've charmed it. If I need help, the stone will grow hot and tingle. Keep it in your pocket and use the map to find me if I call." Lann started to head towards the door before turning to face Draco. "Thanks so much for this. Really. I could only trust you with this." Lann finished earnestly. Then he paused, head cocked to the side, staring past Draco. "Erm…what the hell happened to my bed?" he questioned.

Something inside Draco broke. Stepping forward, he touched Lann's cheek gently, ignoring his shocked look. "Go find Harry, Lann." Draco whispered. "I'll take care of everything."

Lann nodded slowly and never losing eye contact, backed out of the room. As he left, Draco gathered up his wand, slipped the stone and map into his pocket and left the room. He had something to do.

* * *

Harry ran onto the Hogwarts green with something past desperation, but instead born from fear and horror. He had to talk to Hagrid. He was the only person who could explain. He had been there, hadn't he, the night his parents died? He could explain that this was all one big misunderstanding. There was no way that Harry was the one responsible for defeating Voldemort. He could barely finish his school assignments.

Suddenly whiteness crept up behind his eyes and head began to throb. "No…" Harry moaned, "Not now." Determined, Harry staggered on, trying to push the vision away.

But, like always, the vision hit him with full force and he fell to the soft grass in agony.

_The sky was bloody._

_Lann was running along the path to Hagrid's when he saw Harry lying facedown in the dirt. With a gasp, Lann ran towards him sank to his knees beside him, touching his shoulder softly. He was trying to get his vision self to wake up, Harry realized. Lann rolled Harry's vision self over and felt for his heartbeat. Harry could see that his chest was rising and his soft breaths were tickling Lann's hair so he wasn't worried. Lann relaxed from sharp tenseness also. He must have realized that I'm not hurt, just recovering from a vision, Harry decided. As he watched, Lann brushed Harry sweat-soaked hair away his face, leaning over him tenderly. Softly, Lann traced the area where Lann's own scar was on vision Harry's forehead and Harry shuddered as he watched him. He felt like another vision was coming on. _

_Was possible to have a vision within a vision? _

_Just then, a large black dog bounded up to Lann and before Lann could shoo it away, the dog licked Lann's face, nuzzling the young boy affectionately. Lann couldn't help his laugh and even Harry grinned watching as the dog licked Lann's open palm before rubbing against him like a cat. _

"_What're you doing here, boy?" Lann murmured, petting the animal gently._

_The dog growled playfully in response and bowled Lann over, rolling him over until the dog was on top of him and digging his nose into Lann's armpit and sides until the boy had tears streaming down his face from laughter. Laughing himself, Harry walked closer until he was next to Lann and dog. He couldn't touch them – he had learned that when he had tried to jump Tawny Lawerson for feeling up Susan Welsh against her will in a vision when he was ten (instead he had warned the poor girl), but he could stand next to them; he did that sometimes when he had visions of Lann and Draco on their nighttime excursions. _

_It was the closest he could get to them. _

_Then the dog turned into a man before Harry's very eyes and Lann screamed fearfully. The man's dirty fingers were grabbing at Lann, twisting his arms above his head and trapping Lann's lower body under his torso. _

_Black._

_Lann's green eyes were wide and terrified and with a yell, Harry launched himself at the duo. He flew right through them landing in his prone vision self. With a shiver of disgust, he leapt up and kicked wrathfully (and ineffectively) at Black who manhandling Lann to his feet._

_Lann was yelling and struggling furiously, but it didn't seem to be doing any good. No one was coming. With a deep breath, Harry stepped away from them both and tried to remain calm. This hasn't happened yet, Harry told himself. There's time to stop this. You're just upset because you have to watch your friend-_

_Why the fuck is he opening Lann's robe!_

_Harry darted towards them again, intending to rip the bastard apart, cerebral or not, when he realized that Black was just grabbing Lann's wand and placing it in his own pocket. Lann took that moment to swing his elbow into Black's face. Black swore and grabbed at his face while Lann scrambled for something in his pocket and ran towards Harry._

_No, you idiot, Harry thought desperately, he's not after me. He wants you; now's not the time to be noble!_

_Lann, however, didn't get that far. Black lunged for his ankle and ripped it out from under him. With an audible crack, the bone tore. Lann shrieked in pain and fell to the ground, a small stone falling from his hand to land next to Harry's form. _

_Gasping, Black crept next to Lann whose face was quickly whitening in pain. Whispering gently, Black touched Lann's cheek, drawing back fearfully when Lann flinched away. Then Black leaned down and examined Lann's ankle. Harry looked over at it and immediately leaned over and gagged – Merlin! Was that bone? _

_Black touched it softly ignoring Lann's weak protest and Harry's unheard shout of anger. Lann whimpered when Black lifted it softly. Then Black murmured to him again and drew his wand. Pointing it at Lann's leg, he muttered an incantation and white stripes shot out of Lann's wand and bound around Lann's leg. Lann's face lost all its color and gritting his teeth, he fainted, his body slumping to the ground._

_Black, seeing Lann's limp form, immediately turned back into a dog, whimpering as it nosed around Lann's still body. Seeing that he wasn't going to wake up, Black changed back into a man and gently lifted Lann up, mindful of his leg. When he started carrying Lann east, Harry jogged after him. He needed to see where Black was taking Lann._

_Harry didn't get farther than the top pf the hill before a shot of pain raked his head. "No." he hissed. "I have to see this. I need to see where's he's going." But Harry didn't have control and slowly the vision world darkened, his last vivid memory being of the blood red sky._

Harry woke with a gasp, immediately pushing himself to his feet. Frantically, he glanced at the sky. It wasn't bloody with the full effect of the sunset yet. That meant he had time. He had to- he had to…Harry staggered to the ground. His head was killing him. He had fought going into the vision and then fought coming out of it and his body – more specifically his mind – was letting him know. Harry pushed himself back to his feet. He had to help Lann.

He got two steps before he passed out. Above him, the sky began to turn red.

Harry woke up two hours later with the smell of blood around him and the look of it above him. The sky seemed to have rained blood, red droplets were all around him. Lann's blood, Harry realized, the blood from his broken ankle.

Harry rolled over onto his back, feeling tears leaking from his eyes. "A red sky portends death." he recited numbly, recalling an old wives tale that had fascinated him as a child.

Still staring at the sky, Harry pulled back a sob. How was he supposed to kill Voldemort when he couldn't even keep awake after a vision? Could he really save the world if he couldn't save his best friend? Sniffing, Harry set his mouth and got up, grabbing the small stone Lann had dropped earlier. Who cared if couldn't fulfill the prophecy? Screw it. Screw it all. That's right.

Fuck the prophecy.

He needed to save his friend.

* * *

Draco caught up with the Dark Lord right outside his office. He had been waiting for the man to return for the past hour.

"Headmaster," Draco said respectfully, carefully occluding his mind. "I've been waiting for you."

"Yes Draco, what is it?" The Dark Lord asked distractedly. He was keeping in character, but Draco could tell that he was wondering who had called him to the ministry. With luck he never realize who had actually done it.

"I have some rather _important_ news for you, sir." Draco emphasized his words, the intent clear.

Voldemort nodded and led the way to his office. Upon reaching it, Draco took a seat in one of the plush seats and steeled his nerves. His occluding would need to be perfect for this to work. "Sir, I have reason to believe that Potter and Lann know about your…secret."

"Really," Voldemort steepled his fingers. "Why would you believe that, young Malfoy?"

"Lann told me so, sir." Malfoy said bluntly.

Voldemort drew a sharp breath. "You like this boy, do you not?" he asked shrewdly. Taking Draco's silence for confirmation, he continued, "Then why are you telling me this?"

Draco closed his eyes, hoping to give off the right expression. "I…I may have strayed from your path my lord, but it was a…momentary lapse only. You are my one lord." Drawing a deep breath and occluding fiercely, Draco went for the kill. "And I'd like to prove it to you. They know your secret. Let me dis-" Suddenly Draco jerked; the stone was tingling in his pocket. Of all the times- Draco barely held back a frustrated noise. Lann was always such a bother.

"Yes, Draco," Voldemort prodded, "Let you what?"

Draco drew himself away from the stone burning a hole in his pocket. He'd deal with it later. "I'd like to dispose of them for you, my lord." Draco proclaimed.

"Oh really," Voldemort said, amused, "And how would you do that?"

Draco drew the map out of his pocket, not letting Voldemort get a good look at it. "This map allows me to find anyone in Hogwarts. I will corner them alone and kill them. It will not be hard after all the curses you taught me."

Voldemort smiled indulgently at him. "My, my, aren't you eager." Draco stiffened; he was making fun of him. Quickly, Draco brought himself under control. All it took was one quick glance at the map. The little dot named Lann was next to one called Harry Potter which was next to another named…Sirius Black. Two of the dots were moving. Draco's insides turned to ice; if he didn't hurry then Lann really would die.

Voldemort's voice brought him back to the conversation. "However, if you think that you can get rid of them, by all means, try."

Draco nodded and jumped from his seat, heading towards the door. "Draco," Voldemort called suddenly, drawing Draco to a halt near the exit. "Do you know of your late defense teacher?" he asked.

"Yes sir, I do." Draco responded, unsure where this was going.

"He was one of my followers. I got this body," Here Voldemort paused and ran his fingers lovingly over Dumbledore's hands. "When he slipped the draught of the living dead into the fool's tea. It is tasteless and odorless. After Dumbledore slipped into a coma, I was able to inhabit this body. However, I no longer needed Quirrel's body. I got rid of him. I duped the "greatest wizard" of our age. Do not think you can con me."

Draco shuddered and nodded fearfully. "Yes sir."

"And Draco," Voldemort called into the antechamber where Draco was heading towards the stairs. "Bring me back their eyes. They're such a lovely green aren't they?"

Voldemort's laughter followed Draco all the ay down the stairs.

Destiny, hearing the laughter, set down her lyre and lilted her head in contemplation. Then smiling slightly to herself as if involved in a private joke only she could understand, she set off to weave the next strand of time.

**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued…


	9. The Truth

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**The Truth**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Okay, so first I want to apologize for how I may have come off last chapter. I was joking about being annoyed at the number of reviews mentioning my misspelling of occlumency. I really did appreciate it. I realize now that typing that out at three am may not have been the smartest thing I've ever done, but I like when my readers mention things like that. Sorry if it came out different than I intended. Also, this is the second to last chapter in this story (the final one being the epilogue). I have a sequel planned out, but I think it might be more effective if I left it like this. Also, any sequel would have to be done after I go back and clean up the previous chapters and finish some other stories that have been on the backburner. So, if there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

**L**ann woke up in pain, which, considering how he had passed out, was to be expected. With a low moan, Lann shifted and found himself on an old moldy bed ripped in some places and seemingly dented in others. Lann winced and tried to roll off the bed. Not the best idea he'd ever had, he realized as his hurt ankle touched the ground and sent an agonizing burst of pain up his entire leg.

Lann threw himself back onto the bed with a barely suppressed groan. He curled in on himself, protectively drawing his ankle to his body and closing his eyes tightly as he breathed in deeply to hold the pain at bay.

"You're awake."

Lann's eyes snapped open and made another aborted attempt to push himself up.

"Stop that," Black whispered gently, grabbing Lann's wrists and situating him back on the bed his back nestled in Black's shoulder. Slowly, as if approaching a wild animal, Black began petting Lann's hair. "Harry," Black murmured, "You have to be careful. You hurt yourself pretty badly."

"You did that, you murderer!" Lann gasped out, struggling to free himself, "You-"

"I didn't do anything, Harry." Black hissed, a sharp squeeze and bump against his ankle taking all the fight out of Lann, "You tried to fight me. Why would you do that? I love you, Harry. I'm your Godfather."

"No!" Lann shouted, "I'm not Harry. I'm Lann. Lann!"

"That's not true!" Black bellowed, ignoring Lann's cry as he was jostled. "Stop lying to me. I know you're Harry." Black drew Lann's own wand as if to prove it forcefully and Lann shrunk away from him…or at least as far as Black's arms would allow him to go.

"Alright…" Lann whispered quietly, "I'm Harry…just don't…" Lann swallowed hard, willing fearful tears away. "Don't hurt anyone, okay?" _Don't hurt Harry._

Black's wand hand made a sharp motion as if he was going to grab Lann's shoulder, but stopped when Lann flinched away. "Why would you- why would…I would never hurt you, Harry. I was just angry that you were calling yourself something else. I'm your godfather. I would never hurt you. I-" Black cut himself off and ran a hand that was obviously meant to be calming down Lann's back. Lann thought that he must have been about to tell him that he loved him again.

"I just…" Black hesitated as if trying to figure out what he wanted. "I need you to listen to me," he said, sounding calmer than he ever had before. "Then I'll let you leave. I just want you to understand."

Lann looked at him. His watery blue eyes seemed so lost and the mad light that gleamed in them was gone leaving in its place the eyes of a man who had gone astray. Someone who had fallen so far off the beaten track that there was nothing left to do other than follow through with his original plans.

"Okay," Lann whispered, "I'll listen."

* * *

Harry knew that Black and Lann had gone east. East was a lot of things though. East was the forbidden forest. East was the paths leading towards a magical village Hermione had told him about. Could Black have left Hogwarts grounds? The dementors usually stayed inside the castle nowadays. Only one or two patrolled the grounds; it wouldn't have been hard for Black to slip by them.

"Potter!"

Harry turned to see Malfoy sprinting towards him along with Snape. "Where the fuck is Lann?" Malfoy snapped, grabbing Harry by the collar and snarling in his face.

"Draco, watch your tongue." Snape hissed, reaching the boys a second later. "Potter, where's Lann?"

"You were right next to them!" Draco continued, shaking Harry hard, "Why the hell didn't you stop Black?"

"How do you-" Harry started.

"The map!" Draco yelled, shoving the enchanted parchment in Harry's face and then seeing Harry's shocked expression, he continued, sneering, "What, you thought that Lann would only show it to his most special best friend? That only the famous Harry Potter would know all his secrets? WHERE IS HE?"

Snape pulled Draco away from him forcefully and threw the boy to the ground. "Mr. Malfoy, if you do not control yourself, I will send you back to the castle." he admonished. Then turning to Harry, he said, "Mr. Potter, please explain what happened."

Harry nodded. "I had a vision. In it, Black took Lann while I was unconscious. He…hurt Lann. There's blood back there, where we were. I think they headed east…I tried to stay awake after the vision," Harry added, shooting a defiant look at Malfoy, "but I passed out. When I woke up, they were gone. Only this was left." Harry opened his palm and held out a worn grey stone. Almost immediately, Malfoy snatched it from his hand and cradled it in his hands.

"Bloody good job." Malfoy snarled, "Everyone would be so impressed. The boy-who-lived-"

"Shut up!" Harry yelled at him, "I didn't see you helping!"

"I was saving your lives from the dark lord. I thought that you could handle-"

"GENTLEMEN!" Snape thundered, "Do be quiet." At his venomous glare, both boys stopping yelling. Rubbing his forehead, Snape thought in silence for a few minutes ignoring both boys fidgeting. "East, you say…" Snape murmured.

"Uh, yes sir. They were definitely heading east." Harry confirmed.

"Well then, I believe that I know where they were heading." Snape said, a small smirk crossing his face. "You two will return to your rooms and wait there. I will send notice when I have retrieved Lann."

"No way!"

"I'm coming!"

Both boys hissed their protest and at Snape's look, Draco stepped forward, a dark look on his face. "Sir, with all due respect, I'm coming with you. You're not going to stop me because I can tell the dark lord who, exactly, told Harry and Lann to break into his rooms. That wouldn't look good at all, would it?"

Harry gaped at him while Snape glared at Draco inscrutably. Then his face broke out into a small smile. "A fine Slytherin." he complimented, clapping Draco on the back. Then glancing at Harry, he offered, "You may both come, but you will remain behind me and keep your wits about you. Understood?"

At both boys consent, Snape started off down the hill, robes billowing behind him. Harry and Draco followed him, a couple steps back. Draco slowed even more and unconsciously, Harry matched his pace. Thinking studiously, Harry barely noticed Draco's eyes glancing at his face, but when Draco's eyes met his for the fourth time, he finally snapped.

"What?" Harry growled, "Something funny?"

"No," Draco said, and then pitching his voice low so that Snape would not hear, he whispered, "The dark lord knows that it was you and Lann in his rooms. And he knows what you were looking for."

Harry stopped cold, not noticing that Draco had also stopped, but that Snape had continued on. "What?" he whispered, his voice tight, "How does he know that?"

Draco eyed him as if were particularly stupid and started walking again, shaking his head, but not answering Harry's question. Harry stared after him dumbly. Malfoy wouldn't have- no, he wouldn't dare. Lann was his-

Harry dove at Malfoy's back and started pummeling him from the behind. "YOU BASTARD!" he roared, "You gave us up! We never should have trusted you!" Hands reached from behind him and hauled him off Malfoy.

Then Snape's furious voice was in his ear: "Imbecile. I told you to keep your wits around you. This is what you call-"

But Harry wasn't listening; he was too busy trying to get to Malfoy who had scrambled away from him. "I can't believe Lann thought you were his friend. YOU ARSE! He trusted you! And all that crap about taking care of him! YOU LIAR! YOU-"

"This was the only way!" Malfoy yelled back, fingering his spilt lip, "You can't go back to the castle now. You have to leave. He won't be in any danger this way!"

Harry wilted at Malfoy's words, going lax in Snape's arms. "You're…you're screwed up. You're just so utterly fucked up that I can't even be mad at you. I just…"

Harry trailed off looking at Malfoy with something like pity in his expression and Snape took that chance to intervene. "Be that as it may, Mr. Potter, you will not attack another student. Fifty points from Gryffindor." Harry snorted having decided that this was far beyond house points. "And Mr. Malfoy…whatever possessed you to do that?"

Malfoy shifted embarrassedly. "I…um, I guess I thought that if I gave him this, then he'd trust me and if he trusted me, then I'd have a better chance at protecting Lann. If I was on the inside then-"

Snape sighed and pushed Harry away from him. "Mr. Potter, do you know of the Whomping Willow?"

Harry looked at him oddly; what was Snape thinking? "Yes sir."

"Good, go wait there. Draco and I will join you soon." Snape ordered.

Harry frowned but turned to leave, leaving just Draco and Snape.

* * *

"Draco, I'm not sure you understand what you're getting yourself into." Snape rubbed his forehead distractedly. They didn't really have time for this, especially since it really was Harry Potter with that madman Black, but if Draco was trying to do something idiotic regarding the Dark Lord, then Snape supposed that it was his duty to try to talk him out of it.

Damn Dumbledore when he forced Snape to become Head of Slytherin.

"Actually, sir, I do." Snape looked at the mulish look on Draco's face and sighed. Boys. Were they always so eager to run off half-cocked? He'd thought that his Slytherins were at least a little smarter than that. Did Draco even have a plan?

"No, Draco, you really don't." Snape hissed, "A life of servitude to the Dark Lord is bad enough. Playing for the other side while doing so is _suicidal_."

"This is the best way to help Lann." Draco insisted.

"Forget Lann, you stupid boy!" Snape snapped, "Do you think that Lann cares one whit for you? Think of yourself!"

Draco shook his head. "No sir. I mean no disrespect but I can't do that. You're wrong. Lann and I are friends and he would do the same for me. He'd do everything he could to protect me."

Snape stared at Draco's face. It was one of boy convinced. They didn't have time for this. They still had to rescue Lann from Black. There would be time later. Yes, they would discuss this later.

"Come on, Draco," Snape said, giving off the façade of one defeated. "We'll discuss this later. We must retrieve Lann."

"Right," And then shyly, "Thank you for understanding sir."

Snape snorted as the boy raced off towards the Whomping Willow where Harry was waiting. He has no idea what he's getting into, Snape lamented. The idiot. Following the boys, Snape reached the Whomping Willow and picked up a long hardy stick.

Walking forward, he warned, "If either of you tell the other students about this place I will personally see to it that your house never gets out of negative points." He was, of course, talking to Harry specifically. Nevertheless, both boys nodded. On their nod, Snape quickly leaned forward, avoiding the whipping branches and jabbed at the tree, hitting a certain point.

The tree branches froze and Snape got down on his hands and knees and crawled into the small nook once protected by the branches. "Come on now," Snape barked, "The tree doesn't stay frozen forever."

Jolted into the action, Harry and Draco scrambled after Snape finding themselves in a small space. Noticing that Snape had already begun walking forward, holding his wand, alit, high above his body, they scurried after him.

"Um – Professor Snape," Harry started, "Where are we?"

"This passage leads to the Shrieking Shack." Snape answered shortly, not particularly in the mood for conversation.

"Oh," The boy obviously had no idea what the shrieking shack was, but didn't dare ask.

Snape sighed and continued in a whisper, "It was created in my time at Hogwarts for a werewolf."

"They allowed a beast like that to come to Hogwarts?" Draco asked, wrinkling his nose.

Snape quirked his brow ironically. "Yes. Now quiet, both of you."

Both boys fell silent and their mismatched little band of rescuers continued along the narrow passage, Harry and Draco's nervous energy nearly audible and Snape as silent and deadly as an asp. Nearing the door which Snape knew (from personal experience) led into the shack, Snape paused, readying his wand.

"Wands out," he hissed.

Obediently, Harry and Draco raised their wands, the wooden instruments lax and sloppy in their inexperienced grips. With a sudden clenched heart Snape realized that all he had were children – children: that's all he had to fight the dark lord. And they were infants really, in the study of magic. Barely first years. Harry couldn't hold his wand right and couldn't cast a levitating spell to save his own life and Draco was tiny and pale. He'd been a sickly child, Snape recalled. Merlin, how could he even ask these child to fight the dark lord? What was Draco thinking!

And Lann was even smaller.

With renewed strength, Snape silently swung open the door and seeing Black and Lann almost immediately, called out, "Halt! Give it up, Black!"

"No don't hurt him!" Lann cried, throwing himself in front of Black, wincing as his ankle scrapped the floor.

Snape snarled. "Idiot boy, move out of the way." he hissed, brandishing his wand.

Behind him, both Harry and Draco called out Lann's name and he jerked upwards at the sight of him but then cried out as his leg gave and he crumpled to the ground. Snape started forward to catch him, but Black had already caught him and was lifting him up.

"Put the boy down, Black." Snape hissed.

Black backed away from them slowly, looking nervous with all the wands on him. "No," he rasped out, "You all – you all have to listen to me. Harry's not safe. He's not -"

"He's not Harry, you bastard, so just leave him alone!" Draco roared, jumping forward.

Snape growled in annoyance and pushed the imbecilic boy back behind him. "Black, don't do anything stupid."

Black laughed wildly, jerking Lann wildly. "You can't protect him. None of you can. You don't even know who he is!" he said.

"Alright then," Harry said, with a calmness that surprised Snape, "then why don't you tell us. Let us what – Harry – needs to be protected from."

Moving forward slowly, Harry sat on the rickety bed gesturing for Draco to follow. Malfoy kept his mouth shut and did what he was told. For once, Snape thought ironically. When both boys were seated on the bed, their wands up their sleeves, Harry gestured for Lann.

"Give Harry to us, Black." Harry murmured as if gentling a wild horse. "You're hurting him. He'll be comfortable on the bed."

Black shook his head frantically. "No, no, no. This is a bad idea. We shouldn't have waited for them. We should have gone. This is dangerous. This is-" As he continued to babble, Snape noticed that he wasn't talking to himself like Snape had first thought. He was talking to Lann, who was making comforting noises trying to calm him. Had Black actually convinced Lann of something? "YOU WON'T PROTECT HIM!" Black suddenly screamed.

"HEY!" Draco yelled right back, before subsiding back onto the bed at Harry's touch. Then in a severe and desperately final tone: "I would die for him."

The statement wasn't made brashly or with bravado, just said in a quiet sort of defeated way as if he had no choice in the matter. At his words, the madness slowly cleared from Black's eyes. Snape stared at Draco; maybe he could become a spy. He certainty was determined enough.

Slowly, Black walked over to the two boys and laid Lann between them. Immediately, Lann lunged for Harry who wrapped his arms around him protectively. Snape looked at Draco's crestfallen face and also remembered that spies almost always ended up alone. There was no reward for being a traitor.

Snape started towards the boys when Black stopped him with his wand. "Not you," he growled.

"Fine, then," Snape said irritably, "Expelliarmus! Constrictus!"

Black's wand flew into Snape's hand and he pocketed it calmly as ropes enveloped Black head to foot. Black was now resembling nothing more than an enraged peacock.

"No, wait!" Lann cried, "You can't take him away yet! He's innocent."

Snape looked at Lann dismissively. "He's confounded you, Lann."

"He's not Lann – he's-" Snape cut Black off with a snap of his wand, a piece of cloth flying up to over the convict's mouth.

"No, you don't understand – he knows about Voldemort! He came to warn me." Lann blushed. "Came to warn Harry."

"Of course he knows about Voldemort, Lann" Draco scoffed, his coifed demeanor returning, "He was one of Voldemort's closest allies."

"No," Lann cried out, "You don't understand, he was set up. He wasn't the secret-keeper the night the Potters died. It was Pettigrew. He betrayed your family, Harry and then he set Black up. You see, you have a godfather. A real one. He came all this way to warn you about Voldemort returning. You're in more danger than ever before, you know. Pettigrew was an animagus – he can turn into a rat – and he's been hiding as Scabbers, Ron's pet!"

All three men blinked at him. Snape finally snorted. The idea that – the entire thing was ludicrous. "Lann, you-"

"Lann," Harry said more gently, cutting him off, "There's no proof. No proof of any of that."

Lann sat up determinedly. "Give me the map. I'll prove it."

Blinking, Draco handed him the map. Tapping it lightly with Harry's wand, Lann incanted, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Slowly lines of ink spread through out the map, little dots appearing wherever people were. Lann traced the path to the Gryffindor dorms and located Ron. "There!" he crowed. "Pettigrew!"

Harry, Draco, and Snape gathered closer, squeezing around Lann to see the small dot named Pettigrew next to Ron.

"_Fuck._" Snape whispered hoarsely. Then with a careless wave, he released the ropes binding Black, but still kept his wand trained on him. "Say we believe you," he muttered huskily, "How did you know about Voldemort?"

Black eyes darted to Lann and he seemed about to argue that Lann was really Harry (which was true, but Snape was getting a little tired of his circular arguments), but he stopped when he saw the look on Snape's face and said tiredly. "The death eaters in the cell next to me. Narcissa Malfoy stopped by on the pretense of visiting her sister and told them to prepare to be free. That the Dark Lord had returned." Black locked eyes with Lann. "I knew then that I had to reach Harry. I needed to protect him."

Lann cleared his throat nervously. "Actually, Black. Um…there's something we've really got to get straight. I'm not-"

"Actually," Snape said briskly, "There's something I'd like to test. Lann lift up your bangs." Lann frowned but complied, and Snape scrutinized his clear forehead, ignoring Black muttered, "Why can't I see the scar?"

"Alright then, Harry, touch Lann's forehead." Snape ordered.

Harry hesitantly reached forward and touched Lann's head with a fingertip. Almost immediately, a lightening shaped scar appeared over one eye.

"A scar?" Draco said out loud, looking between the two boys, "I thought that yours had faded, Potter. Why does Lann have it?"

"Curse scars don't fade, Draco," Snape said impatiently, "Harry, Lann, have you two always noticed the scar?"

Lann nodded confusedly. "Yes sir, it's a scar from the car accident. I've had it forever."

A second later, Harry also nodded. "It was one of the first things I noticed about him." Harry shrugged, "Seemed impolite to ask about it though."

Snape nodded to himself slowly, thinking. "This is it, isn't it, Snape!" Black said excitedly, "This proves I'm right. This is Harry!" Both boys looked at him sharply and Snape waved Black away quietly.

"Seers break illusions easily." he finally said. "That's why Harry can see the scar and when he touches it, so can we. The illusion doesn't extend to Lann either, but doesn't remain broken after Harry touches it, so I'm guessing it must be connected to Hogwarts. I believe that if we were to leave Hogwarts, the illusion would fade."

"But why-"

"Voldemort." Snape answered succinctly. "he would have wanted to keep this mix-up quiet as long as possible. He benefits a lot more from it this way

"But - but -" Draco's head ping-ponged between Harry and Lann. "Does this mean that Lann's the boy-who-lived?"

"NO!" Lann shouted, "I can't be! I grew up in an orphanage. I had muggle parents. I'm-"

"Harry," Black broke in tenderly, "I was there at your birth. Your father was on an extended tour of duty for the Aurors so I was in the room with your mother. I was the first one to get to hold you. From the moment you looked at me and I looked at you, I knew that I would always know you. Just like you would always know me. How else would you know to trust me without proof. I love you, since the very first second I saw you and somehow, somewhere, you remembered that."

"Don't call me Harry." Lann shrieked. Tears were springing to his eyes as he turned to Harry. "Harry, you can't believe this, right. I can't be – you're-"

Harry shook his head calmly. "I always knew were special Lann." he said softly, his voice, Snape was surprised to find, not bitter, just quiet and sorrowful for his own lost identity and perhaps for the utter calamity that had befallen his best friend.

Lann wilted as if he had been shot. "But – but – I don't understand. How could we get mixed up? How did this happen?"

Snape stood up authoritatively. "There is only one place the mix up could have happened: after Lann was delivered to the Dursely's. Dumbledore would never have made such a mistake. So there are only two people who know what happened: Vernon and Petunia Dursely. And as Dumbledore is currently indisposed and unable to help with this mess, I suggest we ask Mrs. Dursely."

"Now," Lann squeaked.

"There is no time like the present." Snape said, tossing Black back his wand, "Besides thanks to Draco, I believe we have overstayed our welcome. I do not think that you, Harry, or I will be returning. At least not until the Dark Lord has been dealt with." Then to Black: "Are you coming?"

Black gave the wand to Lann who took it gingerly. "Of course I'm coming," Black said, laying a hand on Lann's shoulder, "I need to take care of Harry." At Lann's wince, he hastily amended: "Lann." He was rewarded with a slightly watery smile.

"Alright then. We will break into the broom shed, steal four brooms and -"

"Five brooms," Lann interjected, "Draco needs one, too."

"No," Draco said shaking his head sadly. "Just take two. We need to pretend that only Snape and Black got away." Then to Lann: "I'm not going with you."

Lann's eyes widened. "But, Draco. You can't stay here. It's dangerous. You could be killed."

"Yeah, come on Malfoy." Harry said, "I know you're a sadist and all, but even you can't be that sick. Voldemort'll kill you."

Malfoy shook his head again and stepped forward, hugging Lann tightly. "I promised you that I'd take care of everything and I'm going to. You don't worry about any of this. Just find out who you are and – and: stay alive. I – I'll be waiting for you then you get back."

Both of them had to know that Lann wouldn't be coming back for quite a while, Snape thought, but the way Draco had phrased it made it sound like Lann was going away for a weekend. Maybe it was easier that way.

Lann hugged him back fiercely. "Don't you dare die!" he choked out and then suddenly ran out to wait in the hallway. Snape suspected he was crying; Draco eyes were suspiciously wet too.

Harry stepped forward next, glancing concernedly out the hallway where Lann was. "Look man," Then he quickly hugged the blonde boy. "I'll promise to look out for Lann if you promise to look out for yourself. Lann'll be devastated if you get hurt." Eyeing Draco, he added astutely, "He cares for you just as much as he cares for me, you know."

As Harry walked out the door to join Lann, Black stepped forward and shook Draco's hand formally, holding his eye as if testing him. Finally he bowed his head. "Children were never meant to get involved." he said softly in a faraway voice before also walking out the door.

That left only Snape and Draco. "If wish we had more time." Snape said finally, "There's so much I need to tell you, so much you will have to learn by yourself now. We -"

"Professor," Draco held out his hand formally for Snape to shake. "Unfortunately, there isn't time. I have things that need to be done here while you bustle Lann out of Hogwarts, preferably out of the country. I will learn what I must to survive. I'm a Malfoy and more importantly, I'm a Slytherin. We endure, we survive and I will protect."

Snape smiled inwardly. His little snake had become a serpent. Leaning forward he took Malfoy's hand and shook it firmly. "Your greatest strength is your mind, little serpent," Snape reminded, "Keep it strong, keep it loyal; keep it focused on your goal. Never forget."

Draco watched as his mentor and Head of House left the room and listened as four pairs of feet clomped down the hallway. If he listened hard enough, he could hear a slightly lighter set of footsteps, dragging a little. Lann didn't want to leave him. A smile playing on his lips, Draco turned and surveyed the room, preparing himself for what he would now have to do.

* * *

The ride to the Dursely's was horrendous.

It didn't help that Snape was a horrible flier, but insisted that he handle the broom. Lann could understand why Snape didn't want Harry handling the broom he and Black were on (he had almost fallen twice while still on the ground), but Lann was actually good at flying. Of course, the fact that they had left Draco behind at the mercy of a dark lord and he was about to find out if he really was the boy-who-lived and therefore destined to fight Voldemort in a death-battle might have added a bit to his aggravation.

They finally settled down in the front lawn, crushing the picture perfect magnolias much to Harry's consternation. "Those are my aunt's prized flowers!" he'd cried. He'd fallen silent, however, when Snape had given him a dark look that clearly showed how much he truly cared about Auntie's prized flowers.

Before they had turned to the door, Snape grabbed Lann's chin and turned his face towards his. "Just as I thought," he finally said, staring at Lann's face as if shocked, "Once we leave the wards, the illusion fades. I can see the scar now. Black?"

"Yes," Black said, sounding relieved. "I can see it. Finally."

Together they trooped across the lawn and with only the slightest pause – Lann realized that this (whatever this would turn out to be) could potentially be worse for Harry than him – Harry knocked on the door. "I don't have a key," he explained nervously as they waited for the door to be opened.

Before the knob turned though, they heard loud ponderous clomps stomping towards them. Lann started at the sound and instinctively turned to run – he really didn't want to know – but Snape had been anticipating it and grabbed him before his foot could touch the bottom step of the stoop.

"Don't be stupid," Snape told Lann acidly, "where are you planning on going?"

Lann subsided at his words and waited for the door to open. It finally swung inwards to reveal a portly man dressed sloppily in a dark suit, his tie half undone. It was obvious that he had just gotten home. He frowned at the sight of four wrinkly, wind blown people standing on his doorstep, but when his eyes lighted on Harry, his face smoothed out and he smiled, rolls of fat roving, and said, "Harry, boy, don't just stand there, come in, lad." Then over his shoulder as he bustled Harry in, leaving the other three standing awkwardly on the stoop, he called out, "Pet, love, come see who's here!"

Embarrassedly, Harry slipped out from under his uncle's arm and beckoned Lann, Snape and Black in just as Petunia appeared in the hallway. "Harry!" she shrieked, "Darling!" she ran forward to squeeze him to her breast.

Lann stifled a slightly hysterical laugh. If Harry's uncle resembled a blonde hippo with a bad shave job, then Harry's aunt looked somewhat like a cross between a horse and a giraffe. Then Lann remembered that most likely, it was he that was related to them and stopping thinking all together.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Snape started awkwardly. It was obvious he wasn't used to being polite. "Might we have a moment?"

"Oh," Petunia looked up, eyeing Snape, Lann, and Black and then nodded, moving to the sitting room. "This way." Then: "Harry's not in trouble, is he?"

"Not exactly," Snape muttered, taking a seat in the pristine room. Petunia and Lann both simultaneously winced as mud splattered all over the finely stitched furniture.

"Well then," Harry's uncle blustered, "what's this about."

Suddenly, Petunia gasped and quickly stood, upending the coffee table. "YOU!" she shrieked. Lann jumped as she pointed at him. "Get out of my house!" she screamed. "Get out! I won't have your freakishness in my house!"

"Aunt Petunia!" Harry cried, stepping between Lann and his aunt. "What are you saying!"

"He's a monster!" she shrilled, "He ruined everything. Being around him will bring nothing but misery, Harry! He killed his parents and now he won't even disappear properly!"

Lann sank back into the couch. He had lost all feeling in his legs.

"So it's true, then." Snape said idly, in the resulting silence. "This boy," He pointed at Harry. "isn't Harry Potter. He is." Snape pointed at Lann. He sounded as if he were discussing the weather, not disrupting Lann's entire existence.

"Of course our Harry isn't him!" Petunia spat. "Did you freaks really think that we'd keep that monster in our house? With our Dudley? NO! We found our Harry. And he was a perfect sweetheart. Not like that monstrosity! He-"

"Aunt Petunia," Harry's hollow voice sounded how Lann felt. "How could you do this?"

Petunia subsided at Harry's words. "What – what do you mean, love?"

"How could you do something so horrible! How could ever do that to Lann? You don't even know him!" Harry cried out. "You let me spend my entire life thinking that I belonged to you, that I was meant to be with you, but it was all a lie! This was never mine; it should have been Lann's!" Harry was almost bawling. "You're – you're horrible people. I hate you! I hate you!" Harry was shrieking now, his face flushed and eyes streaming. "How could you do this to us! How -"

Lann stood quickly and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder, quieting him. "It's okay, Harry. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes, it does!" Harry yelled, "Of course it matters! Don't you see what they've done – why aren't you mad at them?"

"Of course I'm mad at them!" Lann bellowed back, his small form shaking with anger, "I'm bloody pissed. How could I not be? But, I. Don't. Care. Not anymore. There's more important things going on right now, you idiot. We don't have time to worry about things like this. All I care about are you and Draco, and Draco's gone." Lann wilted in on himself, his voice growing progressively smaller. "And if I lose you too, I won't have anyone."

Harry's fury melted and he pulled Lann close for a hug. As they commiserated with each other, Snape eyed the shocked Dursely's with trepidation. Then he looked at Black who looked as if he were ready to tear someone's throat out. Black, Snape remembered, probably wasn't all that sane from his stay at Azkaban. Then he noticed that his own wand hand was shaking in anger. "Perhaps, we should take this outside." Snape finally said, his words dry and succinct.

Harry nodded in agreement and led Lann outside, Black following. Snape got up and shook Vernon's limp hand. "Before I Obliviate all memory of this conversation from your memory," he started pleasantly, "I want to tell you that you are both utterly horrid excuses for human beings and with any luck Voldemort will torture you to death in the process of trying to extract this memory." Then he advanced on them with a fearsome look in his eyes.

When he finally joined Lann, Harry, and Black outside, they were arguing about what to do next. "We should go back for Draco." Lann insisted. "If we sneak back at night, Voldemort might not sense us and even if he does, we can book out of there fast enough. With Draco."

"Lann," Harry said gently, "We can't: it's not safe. Especially not since we found out about the prophecy and we know that you're the boy-who-lived. When I think of how much time you were wandering around alone, I -"

"We have to get Draco!" Lann said his voice high and demanding. "I don't know what he was thinking, but -"

"We are not going back for Draco," Snape said, his tone of voice and glare stopping Lann's next "but -" in its tracks. "Draco had made his decision and we must all respect that. Besides, you have a responsibility now, Lann. You may go off to get yourself killed when the world no longer has need of you."

"Alright then," Lann said sullen and sulking, "What do we do then?"

"You, Black, and I are leaving the country. We'll go to the mainland or maybe even Asia or America if Voldemort gets too close. We'll continue your education ourselves. Prepare you for the fight ahead."

"And what about Voldemort and Dumbledore?" Lann asked, "Are we just going to let Voldemort win?"

"He hasn't won," Black said gently, "We just need to regroup. Get in touch with old friends. Start up the resistance again. But we can't do that with you in danger. You're our first priority, Lann."

Lann nodded worriedly. "And Draco -"

"Will be continuing the fight from here." Snape said smoothly, "I can't assure you that he'll be fine, but he's a smart boy. When you get back, he'll be waiting."

Lann looked about to agree so Harry jumped in, "Excuse me sir, but what about me?"

Snape eyed him strangely. "I thought you'd stay with some friends. Perhaps the Weasley's or maybe some old Order members. We won't let the Dark Lord won't find you."

"No," Harry said vehemently, "I want to go with Lann. I have – abilities too, and even if I'm not the one who's going to fight Voldemort I can still help."

"Harry," Lann said helplessly, "What if -"

"No, Lann," Harry snapped, "You can't have everything your way. If I say I'm coming then I'm coming. I made a promise."

"Okay then," Lann's smile was a brilliant as the sun, "When do we leave?"

* * *

Voldemort signed the last document – some insipid request for a permit to gather up a hobgoblin for the sixth year defense class and looked around the headmaster's office. The small oval office was decorated with small muggle-loving artifacts; a cask of lemon drops on the desk, a muggle telescope resting on the ledge; and a pair of muggle gloves resting on an empty perch.

But it would all change soon.

Voldemort was already making his move. With Lucius Malfoy effectively controlling the minister; a loyal, if cowardly supporter already inside the school; and he, himself at the position of the Headmaster, no one would be able to stop him. No one would even know what was happening until it was too late.

A look unlike which had ever crossed Dumbledore's kindly face, slithered into the Headmaster's eyes. The changes would be small at first, but would grow larger and larger as time went by. The idiots in the magical community would be so eager to please Dumbledore, they'd do anything he asked, including slowly lowering the mudblood status to less than that of a pureblood and implementing laws against lesser magical creatures.

The world would be his and nothing would stop him.

Suddenly the door snapped open and young Draco Malfoy strode in, eyes feverish and bright. His face was a sickly pale and he walked like a half drunken man. Without speaking a word the boy slammed a clear bag onto the Headmaster's wooden table. Through the blood and grime, Voldemort could see four green eyes, splattered with grey and white matter.

Well, well, well, another sheep had entered the fold.

Voldemort stood up gracefully, and walked around the desk to tower over Draco. He could sense nothing in his mind but fervent loyalty. Slowly he placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and drew the boy close.

Gently, he asked, "Was it very hard for you, Draco?"

The boy shuddered and stifled a half sob. Voldemort could feel the boy both curl into him for comfort and away in revulsion.

"Don't worry. It'll be easier next time."

Destiny shook her head at the foolishness of men and went about her business. The next strand of time needed to be woven. Death was coming; destruction was eminent; and the lamb had been sacrificed.

A savior would be needed.

Hell was breaking loose.

**T**o **B**e **C**oncluded…


	10. A Letter to the Traitor

**Switched: Chance or Destiny?**

**A Letter to the Traitor **

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, including the wonderful works of Harry Potter.

**A/N: **If there are any questions or comments and criticisms, please review!

**Summary:** Two babies were switched at one by the vengeful Dursley's. Now, at Hogwarts, one is thrust into the role of a hero by chance, while the other, by destiny.

_**D**__ear Draco,_

_Snape says that this is the only message I'll be able to send that he can guarantee won't be discovered by Volde – the Dark Lord, so this is the last time you'll be hearing from me for a while. _

_After we left the Dursely's we decided to go to – to leave England. I can't tell you where we're going, but Snape and Black will be taking good care of Harry and me so no worries. They're going to teach us how to defeat Volde – the Dark Lord together. They think Harry and I will make a good team. I guess that means that we'll be learning a bunch of curses and stuff. Snape mentioned something about the seven deadly – more intensive studies. Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts probably. _

_It all sounds very interesting but I'm afraid that Harry and I might not make it past the training stages if Black and Snape keep fighting the way they have been. I'm not sure what's happened between them, but it's almost come to blows once or twice. Anyway, it's really muggy here and – actually, I suppose you don't care about stupid stuff like our petty bickering and the weather, so I really ought to get on to why I'm writing to you. _

_First off, Snape wanted me to tell you to always watch your back. Double, triple, and quadruple check. Never leave yourself unguarded and never take the dark lord for granted. He's got ages on you, Draco, and – and – oh, please be careful._

_And now that I've completely veered away from Snape's advice (he wants me to point out that the last sentence was solely my wording), Harry says to tell you that he'll keep his promise and it's so weird that you two actually have secrets. To tell the truth, it's a little annoying. You're my friend, you know. And Black wants me to tell you, "Constant Vigilance!" Whatever that means. _

_As for me, well, there's a lot I want to say, I guess. A lot we never got to talk about. A lot I'll probably never know about you. The last time we saw each other I was – a little frantic…um, crazed…I guess upset is really the best word. I'm better now. I've come to terms with it: being the boy-who-lived, having to defeat Voldemort, being abandoned by the people who should have loved me, the whole lot of it. Alright, alright, maybe I'm not quite alright with it, but it'll be okay, I think. I have Harry. He'll never leave me. Black won't either. And neither will Snape, I hope._

_And neither will you. _

_You know, at first, I thought you were jerk. Sometimes, I still think – No, no, this isn't coming out right. You're just so – so – I'm not really sure what to say. Harry told me that you were the one who told Voldemort that we were the ones in his rooms. But he also told me that you were doing it to protect me. Why would you do that? Why do you think you have to take care of me? And in that way? Do you realize that you probably put me in more danger? Why didn't you discuss any of this with me? _

_I do realize that you'll never be able to answer these questions. I'm not stupid._

_But…you need to know: You have to know that I never wanted you to do this. To feel you had to do this. In fact I think I kind of hate you for – I'm angry at you for doing this. You've put yourself in so much danger for me that it actually hurts. I'm worried for you all alone in the serpent's lair. I'm – I'm - _

_I'm so scared._

_I really shouldn't be bothering you with all this. Snape would scold. You're going to be fine. You're not going to – You will be fine. And I'll train and study and when I finally come back, you, me and Harry, we'll all defeat the dark lord together. And you'll be fine._

_Stay strong. _

_Be careful. Please don't die._

_Love, no – Um, Sincerely, no -_

_Your best friend,_

_Lann_

**End Notes: **Well, that's it. I rather think that the story is more effective this way. I don't really have a great urge to write a sequel which would deal with the return of Harry and Lann to England and the fight against Voldemort. I know I've left you all with a lot of untied subplots – the basilisk, Draco, what happens to Hogwarts/the wizarding world, etc, but sometimes life is like that – not everything is always tied up neatly. Also I hope I explained the whole: why doesn't anyone see the scar/notice on the map that Lann is Harry vice versa. If not, here's the explanation: Voldemort as Dumbledore cast an illusion on anything that would show who the real boy-who-lived was. There's actually an entire backstory that isn't in here but was supposed to be in the sequel. Anyway, if there are any other questions, please review or PM me.


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